UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State swimming & diving teams elected their captains for the 2019-20 season, naming seniors, Liam Veregin (Ottawa, Ontario) and Austin Wilson (Grove City, Pa.) to lead the men's team, and Christina Crowell (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) and Heather MacDougall (La Crescenta, Calif.) to lead the women's.
The quartet have impacted the team through their performance and leadership throughout their careers.
On the men's side, both Veregin and Wilson have made their mark in the Penn State record books. Currently, Veregin ranks as the sixth-fastest performer at Penn State all-time in the 100 backstroke and the third-fastest performer at Penn State all-time in the 200 backstroke. Swimming in his native Canada, Veregin advanced to the finals at the 2017 Canadian Swimming Championships in the 50m and 100m backstroke. In addition to his swimming accolades, Veregin has excelled in the classroom as he was named Academic All-Big Ten during his sophomore year.
As a member of the fourth-fastest 200 free relay team in Penn State history, Wilson will join Veregin in leading the men's team this season. At the 2019 Big Ten Championships, Wilson swam personal bests in the 50 free (20.32), 100 back (48.68) and 200 back (1:46.73), highlighting a year in which he also earned a trio of top-three finishes in dual meets.
MacDougall has regularly placed in the top five in dual meets, primarily swimming the sprint freestyle and individual medley events. In February 2018, she won CollegeSwimming.com Big Ten Swimmer of the Week after pacing the women's team with a pair of top-two finishes at the Ohio State Winter Invite. MacDougall is also accomplished in the classroom with a pair of Academic All-Big Ten awards.
Crowell is a three-time NCAA Zone A Regional qualifier and two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree who has led Penn State's women's divers throughout her career. She narrowly missed advancing to the regional finals last season, posting career-best top-20 finishes, and has consistently been a top-scorer in dual meets.
Penn State opens its 2019-20 season Friday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. in McCoy Natatorium, hosting Liberty (women) and St. Bonaventure (men & women). Admission is free.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Twitter at @PennStateSWIM and Instagram at @PennStateSWIMDIVE and on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving.
