March 18, 2015
By Meghan Miceli, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Eleven members of women's swimming and diving team arrived in North Carolina and are ready to race in the NCAA championship meet. Penn State will face its toughest competition yet, racing against Division I teams from across the nation.
"Last year we swam really well at this meet and placed 18th," explained senior Carolyn Fittin. "This year, the goal is to score more points and have our relays make it back to finals."
The NCAA Championships are the most selective meet in collegiate swimming, with strict qualification requirements. In order to garner an automatic invite, a swimmer must achieve an "A" standard time in an event. That swimmer is also eligible to compete in bonus events, but they must have a "B" standard time for their selected races.
In each event, there are anywhere from 35-40 swimmers invited. Once the number of swimmers with "A" times are established, those with "B" qualifying times are invited based on their position in national rankings. Additionally, relays are another opportunity to receive an invitation. Swimmers do not have to qualify individually for the meet in order to compete on a relay team, which have their own "A" and "B" standards.
For the Nittany Lions, seven out of the 11 swimmers competing qualified for events individually. In the senior class, Megan Siverling qualified in the 500 and 1650 freestyle events, while Fittin was invited in the 50 freestyle. Both Siverling and Fittin have competed at NCAAs in past seasons. For the junior Nittany Lions, Ally Ackman qualified in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, Melissa Rodriguez in the 200 breaststroke, and Katie Rowe in the 200 butterfly. Ackman, Rodriguez and Rowe were also members of the 2014 NCAA Team for Penn State. The youngest class competing this week is the sophomore group, led by Katelyn Sowinski who qualified in the 500 freestyle and 200 butterfly, and Casey Francis who will swim the 200 butterfly. Sowinski also competed at NCAAs last season.
Penn State will also participate in the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle relays, as well as the 200 and 400 medley relays.
"We did not swim as well as we were hoping at Big Tens," Fittin said. "But we still have 11 girls who qualified for this meet and we know we can end the season on a high note."
The Nittany Lions placed seventh in the Big Ten, dropping from their third place finish in 2014.
"We knew we had to bounce back and be ready to race this week. We spent spring break training and preparing- I think that's going to show," Fittin explained. "The turn around time between NCAA's and Big Tens is quick, but we feel ready."
While NCAAs marks the end of the season for Penn State, it also marks the end of four long swimming careers. The entire senior class qualified for NCAAs and will represent the blue and white one last time. This week marks the senior class of Carolyn Fittin, Caitlyn Karr, Katelyn Miller and Megan Siverling will represent Penn State together at the NCAA championships.
"As a class, we want to go in and have fun with it," said Karr. "We want to enjoy every last moment together."
Competition begins on Thursday at 11 a.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina.