Feb. 17, 2015
| PENN STATE @ B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Wed., Feb. 18 | Thurs., Feb. 19 | Fri., Feb. 20 | Sat., Feb. 21 |
| McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion | Columbus, Ohio |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Looking to improve upon a third-place finish from a year ago, the Penn State women's swimming and diving team is set to compete in Columbus, Ohio at the Big Ten Championships, hosted by Ohio State in the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 18-21.
COVERAGE
The four-day meet will commence with relay finals Wednesday at 6:30, and continue Friday through Saturday with preliminaries starting at 11 a.m. and finals at 6:30 p.m. The action Wednesday through Friday will be covered live on BTN Plus, while the Saturday finals will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network and BTN2Go. BTN will also air the championships Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m.
THE MEET
The Nittany Lions, which are receiving votes in the latest College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division I Team Rankings, will face some of the toughest competition in the country as six other conference teams enter the event as members of the Top 25. Minnesota leads the league at No. 14 in the nation, while Indiana (15), Michigan (17), Purdue (21), Ohio State (22), and Wisconsin (24) are also listed. Penn State has ranked as high as 17th this season
PSU will be looking to interrupt Minnesota's streak of three consecutive championship titles. The Lions placed third last year with 484 points.
All-B1G RETURNERS
Alyson Ackman (Montreal, Quebec) is the lone first-team All-Big Ten performer returning to the Lions from last season, while Melissa Rodriguez (Chihuahua, Mexico), Katie Rowe (Glenville, N.Y.) and Carolyn Fittin (Sea Girt, N.J.) return with second-team honors. Ackman won the 200-yard freestyle at last season's meet in 1:44.11, and also scored a team-best 52 points.
B1G CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Penn State has claimed three Big Ten women's swimming championships (2002, 2005, 2006) and 41 individual championships since first competing in 1992.
FREESTYLE
The freestyle events have been a strength for the Lions all season. Ackman presently ranks second in the Big Ten in both the 50- and 100-yard events with B-cut times of 22.40 seconds and 48.82, respectively. Fittin sits third (22.42) behind Ackman in the 50, while ranking fourth (49.20) in the 100. Ackman also sits fourth in the 200 (1:45.56) as she will face new challengers to her 200-free title defense with a pair of freshman opponents entering with faster times this season. Caitlyn Karr (Reading, Pa.) also ranks in the Top 10 in the 200 (8th, 1:46.61).
Megan Siverling (Chester Springs, Pa.) has led PSU in the middle-distance and distance frees, and enters the Championship ranking sixth in the 500 (4:41.86), 1000 (9:48.52) and 1650 (9:48.52). Additionally, Katelyn Sowinski (Severna Park, Pa.) ranks eighth in the 500 with a top time this season of 4:43.61.
BACKSTROKE
Ackman is the lone Lion with a Top-10 time in the conference, touching in 53.78 in the 100.
BREASTSTROKE
Rodriguez leads Penn State in the breaststroke, with Top-10 league performances in both the 100 and 200. Her season-best 200 time of 2:10.67 ranks third, while she leads a trio of Lions in the 100 with a season-best time of 1:01.40. Taylor Cameron (Burlington, Ontario) ranks ninth (1:01.67), while Haley Sinatro (West Hartford, Conn.) ranks 10th (1:01.87).
BUTTERFLY
Fittin enters the meet ranking third in the 100 with a top time of 53.05. Rowe is tops for the Blue and White in the 200 with a sixth-ranking performance of 1:57.87, while Sowinski rounds out the Top 10 in the event at 1:58.76
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Rowe also leads the Nittany Lions in the IM, ranking fourth (1:58.75) in the 200 and eighth in the 400. Additionally, Sinatro ranks sixth in the 200 (1:59.67).
RELAYS
Penn State will look to start the Championship off on a high note Wednesday, as the Lions boast the second-ranked 200 medley relay team and the third-ranked 800 free team. Its 200 free team, will compete Thursday, and is presently ranked second. The 400 medley relay will be contested Friday, in which PSU ranks third. The 400 freestyle relay will conclude the B1G Championship, and Penn State will enter ranking fourth.
DIVING
Mackenzie Cornell (Germantown, Md.) will look to lead Penn State after posting career bests in the 1-meter (292.27) and 3-meter (303.15) in recent weeks. Senior Meredith Harbison (Butler, Pa.) will also look to make an impact in her final B1G meet.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Day One Finals: 6:30 p.m.
200-yard Medley Relay
800-yard Freestyle Relay
Thursday, Feb. 19
Day Two Prelims: 11 a.m.
500-yard Freestyle
200-yard Individual Medley
50-yard Freestyle
1M Diving (Prelims & Consolation Finals, 1 p.m.)
Day Two Finals: 6:30 p.m.
200-yard Freestyle Relay
500-yard Freestyle
200-yard Individual Medley
50-yard Freestyle
1M Diving
Friday, Feb. 20
Day Three Prelims: 11 a.m.
400-yard Individual Medley
100-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle
100-yard Breaststroke
100-yard Backstroke
3M Diving (Prelims & Consolation Finals, 1 p.m.)
Day Three Finals: 6:30 p.m.
400-yard Medley Relay
400-yard Individual Medley
100-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle
100-yard Breaststroke
100-yard Backstroke
3M Diving
SATURDAY, FEB. 21
Day Four Prelims: 11 a.m.
200-yard Backstroke
100-yard Freestyle
200-yard Breaststroke
200-yard Butterfly
Platform Diving (Prelims & Consolation Finals, 1 p.m.)
1,650-yard Freestyle
Day Four Finals: 6:30 p.m.
1,650-yard Freestyle
200-yard Backstroke
100-yard Freestyle
200-yard Breaststroke
200-yard Butterfly
Platform Diving
400-yard Freestyle Relay