Swimmen roll over Wildcats

The Penn State men's swimming team used Villanova as a warm-up for the Big Ten championships, which take place in three weeks.

Saying goodbye is always the hardest thing to do. When it comes to saying goodbye to something you've dedicated the last four years of your life doing, shedding tears can be expected.

The Penn State men's swimming and diving teams ended their 1996-97 regular season Saturday with a 143-108 victory over Villanova at McCoy Natatorium. For three Nittany Lions -- Brad Blankenhorn, Mac Fraser and Brian Palme' -- it was the end of a long road that saw many bumps but even more smooth patches.

"It was important to recognize that these guys have come a long way in the past four years," Lion coach Peter Brown said. "They've shown great leadership and have been the backbone of the team."

The final score didn't tell the story, though. Penn State won all but two of the events it had active competitors, and in one race, the Lions didn't furnish a swimmer.

"We swam a couple guys in off events," Villanova coach Ed Bartsch said. "This is our final meet before Big East championships, so it's good to be exposed to other events besides your main ones."

It was pretty much a tune-up for the Lion swimmers, as they prepare for the Big Ten championships in three weeks. The atmosphere was very light, with the Lady Lion swimmers and divers competing against Villanova and Brown at the same time as the Lions' meet.

"It was good for us to go with the women," Brown said. "There was a nice crowd here, and it was as loud as I remembered it being in a while. Although it was a little long (four hours), the fans hung in there and supported us the whole time."

As for the Lion divers, the event was just an exhibition, as they prepare themselves for Big Tens. The Wildcats didn't bring any divers along.

"Except for the Ohio State and Indiana meets, we've been really sharp this year," Lion diving coach Craig Brown said. "Drew (Jackson) did the best list of his life, and Seth (Kane) did the hardest dive on his list, so I'd say we've accomplished what we set out to do.

One Lion who continues to turn heads is freshman Gavin Carscallen, who captured victories in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard butterfly.

"Things were done very well today," Peter Brown said. "I was very happy with the performance of our sprinters. We put in solid efforts in each event."

With three weeks off, the Lions will look to rest themselves to ensure they have a healthy squad going into Big Tens.

"Some people need a lot of rest, and they're going to get it in the next two weeks," Peter Brown said. "We need to be aware of the task at hand, and be focused on the job we set out to do."

The impressive showing for the Lions improves their record to 6-3, 0-3 Big Ten, and should put them in good position for the conference championships at Indiana.

"The Big Tens are going to be tough this year," Peter Brown said. "Minnesota is probably the best team in the nation right now, and Michigan, even though they have some injuries, will be tough as usual. Things open up after that, and we're looking to move up and take advantage of the situation."