Oct. 21, 2011
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State swimming & diving opens its 2011-12 campaign on Saturday at Noon against West Virginia at McCoy Natatorium. The WVU meet will be the Code Blue Blast event where students can swipe their IDs to earn Code Blue points and have the chance to win a pair of Drake tickets.
PROMOTIONS
Penn State will host its Code Blue Blast event with many exciting promotions at McCoy Natatorium for students to take part. Thirty pizzas from Rotelli will be served prior to the meet and there will be a Cannonball & Bellyflop Contest during the first intermission with the winner earning a prize. During the second intermission, a pair of tickets to the Drake concert will be given away to a winning student. Lastly, the 2002 Big Ten Champion Penn State women's team will be honored at the meet as well.
The Penn State men's team returns three All-Americans from last season in Mitch Scherer (Pottstown, Pa.), Brian Alden (Lansdale, Pa.) and Sean Grier (Hummelstown, Pa.). Scherer had a breakout season in 2010-11, earning All-Big Ten Second Team accolades for his performances in the breaststroke events where he finished second in the 100 breast. Aden received his second All-American honor by helping the 200 medley relay that featured Grier as the butterfly leg.
The Nittany Lion men's squad has 16 letterwinners returning from last year, while welcoming in 14 talented newcomers. Scherer will help lead Penn State in a co-captaincy role with second-year captain and fellow senior Scott Marino (Scotch Plains, N.J.).
Penn State is 12-16 all-time against West Virginia, falling in a tight 125-116 dual meet in Morgantown, W.Va. in 2010. Prior to that loss, which saw many high-scoring Lions sit out due to injury and illness, PSU had won the previous three matchups with the Mountaineers in dominating fashion: 145-96 in 2009, 145-93 in 2008 and 194-106 in 2007.
On the women's side, senior Amy Modglin (Fort Myers, Fla.) leads the Nittany Lions in the pool as the lone All-American (200 backstroke in 2011). Penn State returns an experience core of 25 letterwinners from a year ago coupled with seven newcomers. The Nittany Lions placed 35th in NCAAs behind Modglin's performance in 2011.
Modglin will handle the duties of co-captain with fellow senior Kristen Rodman (Lansdale, Pa.). Five other Nittany Lions return as All-Big Ten honorees from a year ago including Mackenzie Powers (Sycamore, Ill.), Sam Palser (Chester Springs, Pa.), Katie Pulos (Rosemont, Pa.), Erin Thomas (Bangor, Maine) and Paige Whitmire (Lederach, Pa.). Also back for Penn State is reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Chelsea Weedman (Poway, Calif.).
The Nittany Lions boast a perfect 16-0 record all-time against West Virginia. Last season, Penn State cruised to a 174-67 victory at WVU as Modglin won three events. Whitmire captured a couple victories before winning the 400 freestyle relay with Rodman, Pulos and Thomas.
For complete coverage of all the Nittany Lion swimming & diving this season, visit GoPSUsports.com.
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