Saturday, February 18, 2012

GROVE CITY, Pa. - The Westminster College men's and women's swimming and diving teams finished second in the 2011-12 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Swimming & Diving Championships. The championships were hosted by Grove City College. The men finished with 711 points, while the women scored 665.5.

In the final day of competition, senior Caitlin Lehberger (New Wilmington, Pa. / Wilmington) claimed the championship in the 200 yard breaststroke with a career-best and pool-record time of 2:18.02. The time also automatically qualifies for the NCAA Division III Championships that will be held in Indianapolis, Ind. on March 21-24. This automatic qualifying time is in addition to her win in the 100 yard breaststroke (1:02.60) last night.

Sophomore Amanda Marlow (Twinsburg, OH / Twinsburg) touched second in the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 2:09.33. Senior Sierra Beecher (Newville, PA / Big Spring) earned third in the 200 yard backstroke with a time of 2:09.29.

The men dominated in the 200 yard backstroke by earning the top-3 spots. Senior Mark Brooks (Youngstown, OH / Boardman) led the way with his first championship in the event with a time of 1:55.66. Senior Kris Brooks (Cuyahoga Falls, OH / Cuyahoga Falls) and freshman Jake Pletz (Venetia, PA / Peters Township) tied for second with a time of 1:56.45.

Junior Alan Nedley (White, PA / Connellsville) took second in the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 1:54.25. Senior Mike Barringer (Boardman, OH / Boardman) touched third in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 46.76. The men's 400 yard freestyle relay team claimed second place with a time of 3:08.52. The team consisted of Mark Brooks, Kris Brooks, junior Dan Gutmann (Cranberry Twp., PA / Seneca Valley), and Barringer.

About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster, a top-tier liberal arts college, ranks third in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster ranked 6th among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 376 Colleges" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 42 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.