March 2, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Four Nittany Lion swimmers entered the pool with the goal of reaching the NCAA Championships on Sunday at the NCAA Last Chance meet. Carolyn Fittin (Sea Girt, N.J.), Mackenzie Hornibrook (West Chester, Pa.) and Katie Rowe (Glenville, N.Y.) each improved upon their previous career best marks while Chelsea Weedman (Poway, Calif.) added another NCAA provisional mark at the McCorkle Aquatic Center.
Fittin topped the field in the 50 free, touching the wall in 22.73. The junior posted a career mark in the prelims as she clocked in at 22.52, a mark which bested her previous personal record by .01 second.
Weedman and Hornibrook also registered first place finishes for the Nittany Lions. Weedman claimed first in the 200 IM with an NCAA "B" cut time of 2:00.68 and Hornibrook turned in a first placed performance in the 100 free in a personal-best 51.83.
Rowe placed third in the final of the 200 fly with a mark of 2:04.72 but recorded a career-best in the prelims of the event, clocking in at 1:55.34. The sophomore clipped 1.46 seconds off of her previous best time of 1:56.80 from last week's Big Ten Championships. Her new time also counts as an NCAA provisional mark.
The NCAA Zone A Diving competition will take place from Monday, March 10 through Wednesday, March 12 in Blacksburg, Va. The NCAA Championships will be held in Minneapolis, Minn. from March 20-22.