Madison, Wisc. – The Penn State Women's Swimming & Diving team concluded the fourth day of competition and the 2022 women's Big Ten championships tonight at the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center in Madison Wisconsin.
On day four, the Nittany Lions achieved seven top-24 finishes.
Penn State finished the meet in 10th overall. During the course of the championships the team broke one school record and earned 26 top-24 finishes, 15 NCAA B standards, 10 program top-ten performances and 396 points.
Day 4
Senior Marie Schobel highlighted day four of competition with a fifth-place finish in the 200 back. She improved on her lifetime best as Penn State's third fastest 200 backstroke swimmer with an NCAA B standard of 1:54.37.
Junior Abbie Amdor and sophomore Cat Stanford placed 15th (49.39) and 19th (49.44) in the 100 free. Their times earned them a pair NCAA B standards.
Senior Madison Murtagh swam to 16th place in the 1650 with an NCAA B standard time of 16:28.59. Junior Courtney Marlin finished 23rd in 16:47.73, a time that's over seven and a half seconds faster than her previous one at the 2021 Big Ten championship meet.
In the 200 fly sophomore Morgan Rinn broke the two minute barrier to earn 18th.
Day 3
Schobel led the Nittany Lions in the 100 back on day three, earning a sixth-place finish and an NCAA B standard (52.48). Freshman Molly Carson swam a lifetime best and an NCAA B standard to become Penn State's seventh fastest 100 backstroker (53.29). Carson swam to 16th place in finals (53.70) while junior Emma Harvey placed 23rd (54.97).
Senior Madison Ledwith placed 14th in the 100 fly with an NCAA B standard (53.41). She led Penn State in the event as freshman Maura Fluehr, junior Emma Harvey and Schobel earned 18th, 21st and 23rd place. Fluehr (53.62) and Harvey's (53.76) times were NCAA B standards and lifetime bests and placed both on Penn State's top-performers list for the event.
Senior Olivia Jack and graduate student Maddie Cooke earned NCAA B standards in the 100 Breast. Jack finished in 11th with a collegiate best (1:00.68) to become the 6th fastest 100 breaststroke swimmer in program history. Cooke swam for 20th (1:01.81).
Sophomore Morgan Rinn made her first appearance at Big Ten finals in the 400 IM. She placed 19th (4:19.59).
In the 200 Free, Amdor swam to 24th (1:49.01).
Day 2
Jack and Amdor became Penn State's seventh and ninth fastest 50 free swimmers on the first day of individual competition. Jack placed 15th (22.49) with an NCAA B standard and a personal all-time best. In that morning's prelims, Amdor touched in an all-time best of 22.61, also an NCAA B standard. She later finished 23rd (22.85) while Stanford followed her to 24th (22.89).
Murtagh earned a spot in finals in the 500 free with an all-time personal best of 4:47.91. She placed 22nd overall in finals (4:48.35).
Nittany Lion Relays
In the relays, the Nittany Lions earned an NCAA B standard and swam to a school record.
On Wednesday the 200 medley relay team of Schobel, Jack, Harvey and Cooke swam for a school record and an NCAA B standard with a time of 1:36.79. In the same night, Amdor, Fluehr, Murtagh and senior Kate Sheridan placed ninth in the 800 free relay (7:15.00).
On Thursday Penn State placed sixth in the 400 medley in 3:33.47. The team of Schobel, Jack, Ledwith and Amdor earned a spot in Penn State's record book for their swim.
On Friday evening Jack, Amdor, Stanford and sophomore Mary Brinker finished seventh in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:30.05.
Penn State's team of Stanford, Amdor, Ledwith and Sheridan placed eighth in the 400 free relay (8:18.19) on day four of the championships.
Nittany Lion Divers
Senior Sierra Shurts and junior Wei Wei represented Penn State on the boards. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday Shurts and Wei placed 34th (232.80) and 35th (226.30) in the 1-meter and 35th (240.65) and 38th(233.70) in the 3-meter. Wei also placed 36th (163.80) in the platform dive earlier today.
Next Up
The Women's Swimming & Diving NCAA Championships will be held on March 16-19 in Atlanta Ga. at the McCauley Aquatic Center.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Instagram at @pennstateswimdive, Twitter at @PennStateSWIM and on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving.
