March 21, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Kelly Nelson manufactured her ninth career All-American finish in her final collegiate event, swimming to a 12th place finish in the 200-yard butterfly in the final of competition on Saturday at the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in College Station, Texas.
Penn State secured 38th place with nine points and totaled three All-American bids during the course of the championships.
With her performance, Nelson has eight honorable mention All-Americans to go along with her lone All-American standing in 2008.
Nelson broke her own school record by .41 seconds in the 200 butterfly. The West Chester, Pa. native's time of 1:54.96 in the preliminaries was .27 seconds short of her becoming her second All-American finish. Nelson touched the wall at 1:55.32 during the finals.
Kaitlin O'Brien, who grabbed her fourth honorable mention All-American in Friday's 400 IM race, took 25th in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:11.84. O'Brien's time set a seven-year school record, overtaking Corrie Clark's 2002 time of 2:12.11.
With a preliminary time of 1:57.17, Kailey Morris tabbed 27th in the 200 butterfly.
Daphne Skelos and Lyndsey Smith rounded out the competition for Penn State. Skelos came in 45th, touching the wall at 1:57.39, during the 200 backstroke. Smith also competed for the Nittany Lions in the 200 butterfly and placed 48th at 4:17.26.
Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin led the Big Ten by standing at 10th, 11th and 14 place, respectively.
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICANS
Kelly Nelson, 200 Butterfly
Kelly Nelson, 200 Freestyle
Kaitlin O'Brien, 400 IM
SCHOOL RECORDS SET
Kelly Nelson, 200 Butterfly: 1:54.96
Kelly Nelson, 200 Freestyle: 1:44.94