UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - Closing out its month-long hiatus, Penn State returns to action on the road against Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Competition in Evanston will begin at noon on January 10th, as the two teams compete for a tally in their favor in conference standings.
In their first season under new leadership in head coach Hollie Bonewit-Cron, the Nittany Lions have seen exponential growth on the time sheets as many members of the Blue and White have topped previous career-bests in the first four competitions of the year, and now aim to build upon that success as the season progresses.
“We had a very successful start to our season with multiple personal bests, NCAA cuts and a school record. These athletes have committed to the end of the season by focusing on the process that has evolved this team so far,” exclaimed Bonewit-Cron. “As we finish up our winter training segment, we are looking forward to the remainder of the season with our championship performances.”
Multiple members of the Blue and White closed out 2024 in the U.S. Open in Greensboro, North Carolina. Three Nittany Lions swam for personal best times, and 2024 All-American Mariano Lazzerini touched third in the 200 Breast finals with a swift 1:54.46 time.
Eager to kick off the 2025 slate, the men’s team closed out a 2-1 finish in head-on competitions, while the women look to improve from a slow 1-2 start.
The Northwestern Wildcats and Chicago Maroons each enter the men’s competition with an undefeated 3-0 record, as the Nittany Lions look to earn their first conference victory following a tight defeat at the hands of Ohio State.
As for the women, the Maroons have a streakless 3-0 record, while the Wildcats enter at 2-1, both outperforming the 1-2 Nittany Lions who aim to bounce back and earn their first win since their season opener.
For the men’s competition, the Nittany Lions enter with a bountiful repertoire of sprint swimmers, and dominant relay performances thus far. Junior Cooper Morley is undefeated in the 100 Back and 100 Fly in dual meets this season, while also participating in Penn State’s relays, including the school-record holding 200 Medley relay.
Junior Mariano Lazzerini has dominated breast events throughout the first half of the season, with multiple podium finishes in both the 100 and 200 Breast, as well as his dominant contributions in the relays as well.
Junior Alex Karahalis broke the 200 IM program record at the Ohio State Invitational, closing in at a 1:44.60 and B Cut finish. Karahalis has been a consistent top finisher for the Blue and White in the Individual Medley, and is expected to make major impacts throughout the remainder of the season.
On the women’s side, junior Morgan Moore has not only found success on the podium in the 500 and 1000 Free events, but she has continuously shaved seconds off her own personal bests to be a top competitor in the conference.
Senior Margaret Markvardt has broken her own barriers and earned personal best performances in all of her events this season, in the 200 IM, 100 Fly and 100 Back.
Stay tuned on our socials @PennStateSwimDive on Instagram, and @PennStateSWIM on X to stay up to date on the Nittany Lions as they start 2025 off with a splash.