Swimwomen diving into competition shorthanded

The team hopes to be competitive against Wisconsin, Minnesota this weekend despite a shortage of healthy divers.

It usually hurts to return to work after a break. The Penn State women's swim team will be hurting more than most.

The team will try to restructure after injuries have slowed one of its strongest areas, diving. Right now, only junior Amy Wade is 100 percent healthy. Sophomore diver Jaime Jaax had shoulder surgery early in the season and will miss the rest of the meets.

Sophomore Melanie Jackson has a leg stress fracture but might return for this weekend's matches against Minnesota and Pittsburgh at the McCoy Natatorium. Freshman diver Shannon Malinowski separated a shoulder during the break and she said she also might return to action this weekend.

Penn State (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) will need all its strength to overcome its first opponent, Minnesota, at 1 p.m. tomorrow, and Pittsburgh (3-2), at 1 p.m. Sunday. Minnesota (5-1, 2-1) is ranked ninth in the nation after finishing second to Michigan in last season's Big Ten standings. Minnesota's only loss came in a narrow contest against Michigan.

On paper, Minnesota should dominate, Penn State coach Bob Krimmel said. But he said there are advantages to swimming against a superior team.

"You only get better by swimming against better teams," Krimmel said.

Junior Arianne Adams said she felt the team was ready to face Minnesota. The team's recent training trip to Hawaii, described by Adams as "more hard than fun," got the team into shape. She also added many Penn State swimmers have become friends with the Minnesota team and they always look forward to competing.

When Penn State faces Pittsburgh, the contest might not be as difficult. Krimmel said the two teams match up evenly and Penn State is also undefeated against teams from the Big East.

Senior Karna Lorhammer said the rivalry between the two teams is one of the biggest of the season.

"Krimmel will always be geared up for Pittsburgh," she said. "He hates to lose to Pittsburgh."

This weekend will be the only time in the season Penn State will face a different team on consecutive days, which might put added strain on the team when it faces Pittsburgh.

"It will definitely work in our favor to have the hard meet first," Adams said.

Another advantage for Penn State is that it has accumulated momentum from recent victories. Penn State stomped Navy 164-85 in Annapolis, Md., during the break.

Penn State has not lost since Nov. 21, when it dropped a close one to Michigan in Ann Arbor.

"The team is really starting to come around," Lorhammer said. "There is always a chance (against Minnesota) because so much of it is attitude."