SUNDAY RESULTS | FULL RESULTS

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's swimming team completed a meet for the ages by finishing fourth overall at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships at Cumberland Valley High School Sunday night.
 
The Golden Bears applied the cherry on top of the sundae during a fantastic season by setting five more school records on the final day. Overall, during the four-day championship meet, Kutztown made its presence felt by setting 11 school records, qualifying six student-athletes for the NCAA championship meet, having five swimmers earn All-PSAC recognition and winning three PSAC individual titles. This effort was on top of an outstanding dual meet season in which Kutztown finished with a 15-1 record.
 
Kutztown finished with 351 points. The Golden Bears were behind West Chester (756), Clarion (469) and Shippensburg (397) and ahead of California (323). Earning All-PSAC honors for the Golden Bears were Steph Jeppesen (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), Alexandra Crigler (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) and the 800-yard free relay team of Jeppesen, Nikki Hinsdale (Glen Mills, Pa./Bayard Rustin), Heather Wolkom (Rumson, N.J./Rumson Fair-Haven Regional ) and Lauren Malloy (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Catholic) .
 
"This is one of the strongest teams in the history of the program by far," Flannery said. "I am very happy for the girls. We got a lot of big efforts down the stretch and that helped us hold onto fourth. I feel like I just passed my graduate school exam. The girls battled and didn't cave in to Cal when they got close to us."
 
Jeppesen was one reason why the Golden Bears would not lose their grip on fourth. She capped her awesome weekend by winning her third PSAC championship in as many days and setting another school record. Jeppesen won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:16.49) besting the mark of 2:16.99 she set at last year's NCAA championships. Jeppesen won the 100-yard breaststroke on Saturday and the 200-yard individual medley on Friday.
 
Crigler and Wolkom earned NCAA automatic qualifying times by finishing fourth and fifth, respectively in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Crigler's time of 17:28.05 was her third school record of the four-day event. Crigler broke Wolkom's previous mark of 17:53.17 in the event. Crigler set the school record in the 500-yard free relay on Friday and 1,000-yard free relay Thursday, setting the tone for this memorable weekend. Wolkom also swam a personal best time in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:30.02).
 
Freshman Lauren Galetto (Vineland, N.J./Sacred Heart) had a day to remember. First, she broke Ashley Singer's school record of 2:12.78 in the 200-butterfly during the morning session. Then, later in the evening, Galetto broke her own school record of 2:11.95. It may have been the shortest a record stood. Galetto finished ninth in a time of 2:10.09, which was an NCAA B cut performance.
 
"I didn't believe it at first," Galetto said. "I didn't know that I went that fast. I was just trying to keep pace with the girls in front of me and I knew if I did that then I would hit a good pace. I figured if I finished ninth, then I could help us move up a spot."
 
The 400-yard free relay quartet of Jeppesen, Hinsdale, Wolkom and Shapiro finished sixth in a school record time of 3:34.85. That effort smashed the 14-year old mark of Elizabeth Thoryk, Jennifer Sullivan, Amy Facciolo and Claudine Gruver, which was set at the NCAA championships at the University of North Dakota in 1996.
 
Other strong efforts were turned in by Jordan Shapiro (Yardville, N.J./Princeton) achieved a NCAA B cut time in the 200-yard backstroke (2:05.89) with her ninth-place finish. Nicole Hinsdale placed 14th in the 200-yard backstroke (2:29.68) to help the Golden Bears earn points. Lauren Piorkowski (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) was 12th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:09.68). Malloy finished 11th in the 200-yard butterfly (2:11.13).
 
The Golden Bears will return to action when the NCAA Division II championships in Canton (Ohio) beginning on March 10.
 
"I am ecstatic with how the entire weekend went," Flannery said. "The girls competed hard, swam well and battled back when they needed to. This is definitely a weekend I will always remember. The girls did a great job."