Jan. 13, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; January 12, 2013 -- The difference came in the relay events for the Penn State women's swimming and diving squad as they split a tri-meet at Arkansas with Missouri State. The Nittany Lions claimed a 235-59 victory vs. Missouri State, but lost both relay events to Arkansas and were edged 146.5-151.5 by the host Razorbacks despite winning eight of the 16 events.
If you look at just the times from Saturday you wouldn't be too impressed, but when you realize that the team has been training tougher than they have all year over the past few weeks you can understand why times took a little ding. The results, however, were solid against a pair of quality opponents and eight victories are a nice starting point for 2013.
The trio of Amy Modglin (Fort Myers, Fla.), Mackenzie Powers (Sycamore, Ill.) and Paige Whitmire (Lederach, Pa.) each accounted for a pair of victories in the meet. Modglin came away with the 400 IM and 200 backstroke titles, wining the events in 4:19.36 and 1:56.98, respectively. The senior also led a caravan of PSU swimmers that finished 2-3-4 in the 200 freestyle. Modglin swam 1:49.58 to finish second, Caitlyn Karr (Reading, Pa.) followed in third in 1:50.58 and Hailey Sinatro (West Hartford, Conn.) swam 1:52.12 to place third.
Whitmire won back-to-back events when she claimed in the edged the field of 12 swimmers in the 50 freestyle before bettering the closest competitor in the 100 freestyle by nearly a full second. The senior won the 50 freestyle for the third time this season, swimming 23.3 in the event, and claimed her first 100 freestyle crown with a time of 50.45. Powers won the 100 backstroke for the second time this season and claimed the 100 butterfly for the third time. The junior swam the backstroke in 55.95 early in the program and capped her meet with a 54.87 showing in the butterfly.
Gabi Shishkoff (Franklin, Mass.) swam just three individual events, but the junior found her way into the top-three in two of them, winning the 1,000 freestyle to kick off the solo portion of the meet for PSU. Shishkoff swam 10:02.54 to claim the individual title before claiming fourth in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:02.27. A steady performer for the Blue and White all season, Shishkoff claimed second place in the 500 freestyle late in the program, swimming 4:54.66 in the event.
Chelsea Weedman (Poway, Calif.) won the other event for the Blue and White when she swam 2:01.64 to better her own teammate in the 200 butterfly. Weedman out-touched freshman Katie Rowe's (Glenville, N.Y.) time of 2:01.92 in the event.
Penn State returns to Happy Valley for a pair of home meets over the next two weeks, beginning with a dual meet vs. Navy on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 11 a.m. before hosting senior day on Saturday, Feb. 2 in a dual meet with Towson at 1 p.m.
Individual Event Winners
1.000 Free: Gabi Shishkoff, 10:02.54
100 Back: Mackenzie Powers, 55.95
200 Fly: Chelsea Weedman, 2:01.64
50 Free: Paige Whitmire, 23.13
100 Free: Paige Whitmire, 50.45
200 Back: Amy Modglin, 1:56.98
100 Fly: Mackenzie Powers, 54.87
400 IM: Amy Modglin, 4:19.36
--NITTANY LIONS--