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Modglin Wins 200 Backstroke as Women's Swimming Finishes Fourth at Ohio State Invitational

Dec. 6, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Freshman Amy Modglin (Fort Myers, Fla.) wrapped up a stellar weekend by winning the 200 backstroke on Sunday to lead the Penn State women's swimming team to a fourth-place finish at the Ohio State Invitational. Modglin swam to "NCAA B" times in both the preliminaries and finals for Penn State's sole win of the weekend. Senior captains Lindsey DeForrest (Wycombe, Pa.) and Lyndsey Smith (Westminster, Md.) also qualified for the A Finals in the 100 freestyle and 200 breaststroke, where each finished fifth. The Nittany Lions scored 162 points on the day to finish the weekend with 458.

Modglin's showing came one day after swimming to an "NCAA B" time in the 400 IM prelim. She finished the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:57.12, improving on her preliminary time (1:57.39). Two seniors, Daphne Skelos (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and Stephanie Roop (Dowingtown, Pa.) also reached the B Finals, placing 13th and 16th, respectively.

DeForrest recorded Penn State's second top finish of the day by placing fifth (51.16) in the 100 freestyle while fellow captain, Smith, swam to a fifth-place finish of her own in the 200 breaststroke (2:18.24). Freshman Merritt Krawczyk (Kingwood, Texas) qualified for the B Finals of that event while sophomore Alexa Hetzel (Metuchen, N.J.) and freshman Amy Lewis (Rudolph, Wis.) cracked the C Finals.

Penn State garnered an impressive seven top-eight finishes on the day. A team of DeForrest, sophomore Samantha Palser (Chester Springs, Pa.), freshman Paige Whitmire (Lederach, Pa.) and senior Michelle Myers (Boalsburg, Pa.) were third in the 400 freestyle relay (3:25.11) while a sophomore team of Katie Pulos (Rosemont, Pa.), Erin Thomas (Bangor, Maine), Kristen Rodman (Lansdale, Pa.) and Kaeley Boyle (Ashburn, Va.) placed sixth (3:30.12).

Both Roop and junior Diana Greco (Chester Springs, Pa.) placed in the top-eight of the 1650 freestyle, finishing fifth (16:45.06) and eighth (17:04.89).

The Nittany Lion divers return to action in the new year as they travel to the University of Georgia on Jan. 3 to take part in the Bulldog Shootout. Swimming returns to action three days later on Jan. 7 at Florida State. Check back to GoPSUsports.com to stay up to date on the Penn State swimmers and divers.

DAY THREE FINALS RESULTS (preliminary times in parentheses)
For complete preliminary results, please click here.
400 Freestyle Relay
3. DeForrest, Palser, Whitmire, Myers - 3:25.11
6. Pulos, Thomas, Rodman, Boyle - 3:30.12
11. Smart, Luley, Snyder, Gadzicki - 3:33.94

100 Freestyle
A Final
5. Lindsey DeForrest - 51.16 (51.24)
B Final
13. Samantha Palser - 51.79 (52.02)
14. Paige Whitmire - 52.04 (51.65)
16. Michelle Myers - 52.58 (51.90)
C Final
17. Erin Thomas - 51.97 (52.34)
22. Kristen Rodman - 52.57 (52.41)

1650 Freestyle
5. Stephanie Roop - 16:45.06
8. Diana Greco - 17:04.89
11. Alexandra Young - 17:16.33
16. Rose Snyder - 17:44.21
17. Emily Wolfarth - 17:45.75
19. Alexa Hetzel - 17:50.16

200 Backstroke
A Final
1. Amy Modglin - 1:57.12 (1:57.39)
B Final
13. Daphne Skelos - 2:03.78 (2:04.06)
16. Stephanie Roop - 2:05.62 (2:05.28)
C Final
23. Kaeley Boyle - 2:07.65 (2:08.32)

200 Breaststroke
A Final
5. Lyndsey Smith - 2:18.24 (2:18.65)
B Final
14. Merritt Krawczyk - 2:20.07 (2:22.32)
C Final
23. Alexa Hetzel - 2:25.79 (2:28.26)
24. Amy Lewis - 2:26.21 (2:26.33)

200 Butterfly
B Final
11. Alexandra Young - 2:05.33 (2:04.13)
C Final
18. Samantha Jarmul - 2:09.06 (2:09.38)

Final Women's Team Scores
1. University of Minnesota: 1174
2. Ohio State University: 845
3. West Virginia University: 529.5
4. Penn State University: 458
5. University of Miami: 302
6. University OF Pittsburgh: 247
7. Purdue University: 66
8. Indiana University: 55.5
9. Duke University: 54
10. Arizona State University: 42
11. University of Notre Dame: 39
12. University of South Carolina: 26
13. North Carolina State: 23
14. Arizona State University: 14
15. Purdue University: 13