The women's swimming team and Pitt were the only two teams to compete in the Pittsburgh Open on Thursday, but no team score was kept. These swimmers will not make the trip to Easterns.

"It wasn't as intense competition as I was used to," Debbie Finn said. "You mainly swam against yourself or your teammates."

"Some races were just Penn State and some were just Pittsburgh," Kathryn Trapp said. "But people hang tough when they swim against teammates."

Tapered and shaved, most of the Lady Lions swam their best times of the year. This is the first year that the Lady Lions have had a chance to compete in an end of season meet besides Easterns.

"It's a great opportunity for us to have two championship meets at the end of the year," Coach Bob Krimmel said.

The Lady Lions came in first in the 200-yard medley relay (1:56.46), second in the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.00) and second in the 400 freestyle relay.

Finn won the 100 breaststroke (1:09.57) and was touched out for first in the 200 breaststroke.

Sherri Turner turned in three first-place finishes, one as member of the 200 medley relay team and the other two in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

"I got my goal for the 200 backstroke and my best time in the 100 back this season," Turner said.

Michelle Drahus had an impressive day with a win in the 200 butterfly (2:10.83), second-place finishes in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, and also competing in the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.

Other first-place finishes included Alexis Cooper in the 100 butterfly (59.23) and Sheri Evey in the 200 breaststroke (2:30.11).

Heather Fraser, Deborah Albright, Ann Marshall, Stefanie Merkle and Laura Tanabe also competed in their last meet of the season.

The Lady Lion divers got the opportunity to perfect their dives in the pool they will dive in at Easterns.

In the one-meter diving, Amy Schmidt took second (263.03), Lara von Seelen placed third (262.95) and Kristin Tressler came in fourth (233.03). In the three-meter, Schmidt took second (278.18), Tressler third (249.53) and von Seelen fourth (247.95). Schmidt and von Seelen will probably make the trip to Easterns.

"It was our championship meet," Turner said.

"It was our chance to do our best times and set the tone for Easterns," Trapp said. "It's a great opportunity to swim in a last meet."

The Lady Lions tried to "warm-up" the pool for the rest of the Lady Lions who will be competing at Easterns.

The Eastern team may gain an advantage on the opposition through this trip to Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Open team can report the conditions present at the pool including the starting blocks, lighting, color of the walls and how much light they reflect.

"It was a good chance to give the Eastern team feedback," Trapp said.

"It gets everyone thinking that Easterns are getting near and it's championship time," Krimmel said. "It gets everyone more focused."