It seems only fitting.

In a season of such change and success for the women's swimming and diving team, it only makes sense that the team finished with its best showing at NCAA Championships in seven years.

The five Penn State athletes who traveled to Austin, Texas, earned the team 23.5 points, good enough for 26th place in the nation. Stanford University won the championships.

"We did great, but we could have done even better," Coach Bob Krimmel said. "This was the fastest women's swimming meet ever. So many American records were broken."

Four of the five representatives of Penn State came away with All-America honors.

Fran McDermid finished seventh in the 200-yard freestyle, breaking her own Penn State and Big Ten Conference records, with a time of 1 minute, 47.61 seconds. She became Penn State's first woman swimmer to finish in the top eight at the NCAAs.

"(Breaking the top eight) in itself is outstanding. It's instant recognition," Krimmel said. "The last four times she swam the 200-yard freestyle she set a Penn State record. That's simply amazing. She's one of the top swimmers in the country."

"I didn't know what to expect," McDermid said. "I was a little surprised (with my time). I swam pretty fast in the 50 free. I was hoping I would swim that fast (in the 100) -- luckily I did."

The team of McDermid, Christy Rourke and freshmen Sarah Duttera and Deni Rudy, which had qualified for NCAAs in the 400 free relay, was allowed to swim in the 800 free relay as well. Despite Krimmel's prediction that the team would have "no way to score," it finished 15th, earning the foursome Honorable Mention All-America status.

"It was really a no-lose situation for us," Rourke said. "(And) we put it all together."

"I was so excited," McDermid said. "I swam second (in the relay), so I got to watch the rest of the race. It was really exciting."

The following morning, McDermid placed 14th in the preliminary race in the 100 free. She swam the 100 that night in 50.38 and garnered another Honorable Mention All-America honor with a 13th-place finish.

"I was tired (from the previous night), but I don't like to use that as an excuse," McDermid said.

The 400 free relay team finished 15th with a time of 3:27.03 -- good enough for another Honorable Mention All-American honor for the foursome.

McDermid also became Penn State's first woman swimmer to win four All-American honors at a single NCAA Championship meet. In addition to the four titles, she finished 18th in the 50 free with a Penn State record 23.43.

"For Fran, it finished off a fantastic, unbelievable, first-of-its-kind season," Krimmel said.

"I still have a lot of goals I want to accomplish," McDermid said. "It'll make me that much more excited for next year.

"Thinking that I want to do better -- it keeps me going."

Diver Amy Schmidt failed to make the top 16, finishing 27th in the 1-meter dive and 23rd in the 3-meter.

Rourke, a senior, will graduate with three Honorable Mention All-American titles. She earned one last year on the 13th-place 800 free relay team.

Rourke and Rudy will be recognized as Academic All-Americans.