Dec. 6, 2013
AUSTIN, Texas - The Penn State women's swimming team turned in several exceptional performances at the second day of the Texas Invitational, notching eight top 10 finishes on Friday. Gabi Shishkoff (Franklin, Mass.), Alyson Ackman (Montreal, Quebec) and Mackenzie Powers (Sycamore, Ill) led the way for the Nittany Lions as each posted top-five performances.
Shishkoff registered her third career-best time of the week in the finals of the 400 IM, clocking in at 4:09.00 for a third place finish. The senior's time meets the NCAA "B" qualifying standard and stands as the fourth-best 400 IM mark in program history. Shishkoff, Ackman, Caitlyn Karr (Reading, Pa.) and Kaitlin Jones (Midlothian, Va.) claimed third place in 800 freestyle relay, turning in a "B" qualifying time of 7:10.86.
Ackman earned a top-five individual performance in the 200 freestyle as well. The sophomore placed fourth after posting a "B" qualifying and season-best time of 1:45.26. Ackman also met the "B" standard in her first-career appearance in the 100 backstroke, finishing 11th in 54.12.
Powers, who swam her way to a school record in the 100 butterfly on Thursday, had another spectacular performance on Friday. The junior turned in a career-best time in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall in 53.49 as she finished fifth in the event. Powers' mark meets the "B" qualifying standard and ranks fifth on the all-time program list.
Chelsea Weedman (Poway, Calif.) also earned a top 10 finish for the Blue and White, claiming sixth place in the 400 IM with a "B" qualifying time of 4:12.63. Sophomore Haley Sinatro ( West Hartford, Conn.) turned in a "B" qualifying mark in her only individual event of the day, touching the wall in a career-best 1:02.34 in the 100 breaststroke.
The 200 medley relay team of Powers, Melissa Rodriguez (Chihuahua, Mexico), Carolyn Fittin (Sea Girt, N.J.) and Katie Saloky (Bloomsburg, Pa.) finished seventh with a time of 1:40.14 while the second PSU 200 medley relay team of Casey Fazio (Washington, N.J.), Sinatro, Mackenzie Hornibrook (West Chester, Pa.) and Jones placed 10th, clocking in at 1:41.29.
Penn State's second 800 freestyle relay squad of Sinatro, Megan Wujciak (Livingston, N.J.), Kaitelyn Sowinski (Severna, Pa.) and Chelsea Vanderweele (Silver Spring, Md.) also finished in the top 10, placing seventh in 7:20.83.
The Blue and White return to the pool on Saturday for the final day of competition at the Texas Invitational. Day three is set to begin at 11 a.m. (ET) with the women's 200 backstroke prelims. Fans can follow the action live at sidearmstats.com/texas/swim.