Feb. 19, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Penn State women's swim team advanced to third place after Thursday's events the Nittany Lions have collected 27 points. Indiana is currently in first place with 226 points while Minnesota follows in second with 196.
"The girls are swimming very, very well," said head coach John Hargis. "They're competing well and we've had some break-through swims which is fun to see."
Kailey Morris (Baltimore, Md.) led the way in the 500 freestyle placing fifth with a time of 4:42.80 to earn 14 points for the Nittany Lions. Kelly Nelson (West Chester, Pa.) added 11 with an eighth place finish in 4:48.80. Karie Haglund (Marietta, Ga.) and Sarah Baker (Fairfax, Va.) also added points as Hagland touched the wall in 4:50.62 for 15th place while Baker followed at 16th in 4:52.13.
Diana Greco (West Chester, Pa.) placed second in the C Final, 18th overall, and earned an NCAA B time of 4:46.48. She also moved up to seventh all-time in the Penn State record book. Stephanie Roop (Downington, Pa.) earned an NCAA B time of her own placing 20th overall in 4:48.32.
Kaitlin O'Brien (Caldwell, N.J.) improved on her time from prelims and placed fourth in the 200 IM. Touching the wall in 1:58.50, O'Brien claimed 15 points for Penn State. Daphne Skelos (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) lowered her time from 2:01.10 to 1:58.80 for an 11th place finish and six points.
Lyndsey Smith (Westminster, Md.) claimed first place in the C final, 17th overall, and punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships with a B time of 2:00.08. In addition this time propelled her from 10th all-time to third in the Penn State record book.
Competition in the 50 free was close throughout as the top four finishers were within a quarter of a second of each other. Michelle Myers (Boalsburg, Pa.) came in fourth shaving .02 seconds off her preliminary time in 22.58 and earning 15 points for the Lions. Lindsey DeForrest (Wycombe, Pa.) also picked up points placing 14th overall touching the wall in 23.08. Samantha Palser (Chester Springs, Pa.) placed eighth in the C final, 24th overall with a time of 23.76.
Myers, DeForrest, Palser and Baker teamed up for the 200 free relay and finished fifth for 28 points and also collected an NCAA B time of 1:30.98.
In the diving well, Courtney Adlam (Ambler, Pa.) placed 15th with a score of 213.00. Adlam is the first women's diver to earn points for Penn State in two years.
"It looks like it's going to be a dog fight between us, Wisconsin and Michigan for third place," said Hargis. "It's going to come down to the prelims and who wants it most."
The Big Ten Championships will resume Friday at 11 a.m. ET at the University of Michigan with the 400 IM, the 100 butterfly, the 200 free, the 100 breast, the 100 back and the three-meter springboard. Fans can follow the action live by clicking here.