PSAC Swimming Championships Set for Cumberland Valley
Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pa. will be the site of the annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women’s and Men’s Swimming Championships Thursday, February 19 through Sunday, February 22. The women are participating in the league’s 34th championship while the men are entering the 51st year.
Thursday’s action gets under way at 5:30 p.m., as both genders take part in one event – the 1,000 freestyle. Preliminary races are set for 10 a.m. each of the following days. Finals on Friday and Saturday begin at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Due to league expansion, men’s and women’s teams from Gannon University will be part of the field for the first time this year. The Golden Knights join dual-gender programs from Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, Indiana (Pa.), Kutztown, Shippensburg and West Chester to form an eight-team men’s field. The 14-team women’s field is rounded out with participation from California (Pa.), East Stroudsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville and Slippery Rock.
Adult tickets for the event will be $5 for preliminaries, $7 for finals or an all-session pass can be purchased for $35. Students from PSAC schools are admitted free with school-affiliated ID. Fees for non-PSAC students are $2 for each session and $10 for an all-session pass.
WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
West Chester has won two straight titles and will be the favorites to win again in 2008-09. All six of West Chester’s crowns have come in the last eight years. Clarion boasts the most titles of any PSAC school, 26, which includes 23 straight from 1976-1998, and more recent efforts in 2006, 2004 and 2000. IUP (1999) is the only other school to win a PSAC Women’s Championship.
This year’s tournament features six swimmers who won individual titles in 2008, including Jackie Borkowski of West Chester, who is the defending champion in the 50 and 100 free, as well as the 100 back. She also claimed gold as a part of all three freestyle relay squads.
Joining Borkowski as returning individual champions are Ester Bosch of California (200 free), Amanda Terray Lock Haven (200 back), Kaitlyn Johnson of Clarion (100 fly), Erin Fischer of West Chester (200 fly) and Chelsea Grosser of Edinboro (400 IM).
The talented field includes eight individuals who have automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships by surpassing “A Cut” time standards. Borkowski leads the way by qualifying in four events – the 50, 100 and 200 free, and the 100 back, followed by Johnson (50, 100 free, 100 fly) and Bosch (100, 200, 500 free) with three. Other automatic qualifiers are: Terray (200 back), Marianne Juhl (Cal – 1650 free), Denise Simens (Clar – 100 breast), Kelly Connolly (Clar – 100 breast) and Steph Jeppesen (Kutz – 200 breast).
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
West Chester has won 10 straight championships, part of the school’s 21 overall titles, and figure to be the favorites for 2009. The 10 straight titles is the longest active streak for any PSAC Championship. Clarion, winners of 24 titles all-time, and Shippensburg (4), will pose the top competition for the Golden Rams.
Five returning champions from the 2008 class return to defend their titles, headlined by Clarion’s Ryan Thiel. Thiel led the Golden Eagle efforts a year ago by outracing the field in the 50, 100 and 200 free.
Two other swimmers – West Chester’s Max Bernardes (1000 free, 400 IM) and IUP’s Pawel Glowiak (100, 200 back) – return to defend their titles in multiple events. The West Chester duo of Rod King (1650 free) and David Smoker (200 fly) are also seeking a repeat of their 2008 championship efforts.
In addition to the aforementioned, West Chester should get a boost from Matt Golebiewski, who has already recorded NCAA “A Cut” times in the 100, 200 and 500 free. Bernardes has registered the same standards in the 500 free and the 400 IM, while Thiel (50 free) and Glowiak (100 back) have also secured their trips to the NCAA Championships.
NOTES:
- California is serving as the school host for the 2009 PSAC Championships. More information regarding the Championships can be found on the Vulcans Web site:
http://www.calvulcans.com/sports/2008/12/31/SWIM_1231080257.aspx?path=wswim
- Score updates and results can be found throughout the championships on California’s site as well as the PSAC Web Site:
www.psacsports.org
- The 2009 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships will take place March 11-14 in Houston, Texas, as part of Division II’s Winter Sports Festival.