Friday, Feb. 6, 1998

Last hurrah for senior swimwomen

By FRANK C. D'AMICO
Collegian Sports Writer

It will be a going-away party, a homecoming and a reunion all at once.

Before the Penn State women's swim team (7-4, 1-4 Big Ten) takes on Iowa (6-3, 3-3) at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the McCoy Natatorium there will be a Senior Day presentation. The four-year seniors of the team will be honored with a commemorative Penn State wool blanket.

Senior swimmer Karna Lorhammer competes in the 200-yard breastroke earlier this season. Lorhammer and three other Lion seniors will be honored prior to the 1 p.m. meet tommorow against Iowa in McCoy Natatorium. (Collegian Photo/Christopher M. Mortensen - click for full size image)

"Every year I saw the seniors at this and now it's my turn," senior captain Karna Lorhammer said. "It might get messy emotionally."

Lorhammer's mother is coming from Colorado to attend the Iowa meet. This will be the first collegiate dual-meet she has seen her daughter compete in.

The Iowa meet also marks Hawkeye coach Mary Bolich's return to Penn State. Bolich, a Pennsylvania native, was Penn State's assistant coach from 1989-96. This is her second season as head coach of Iowa.

"When she took over Iowa her job was like 'Mission Impossible,' " Penn State coach Bob Krimmel said. "Now she is the talk of the coaching world."

Krimmel said Bolich built Iowa into a strong program that will prove to be a tough opponent for Penn State.

Iowa has fared better in the Big Ten than Penn State has. Iowa's conference wins have come against Indiana, Purdue and Ohio State. Penn State's sole conference win came against Purdue. The Lady Lions did not face Indiana and Ohio State.

Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin handed the Lady Hawkeyes their losses. The Lions also dropped meets to those three teams.

Bolich recruited many current Penn State swimmers during her seven-year stay and also coached current assistant coach Fran McDermid as a swimmer.

"It will be weird to compete against her," Lorhammer said. "But we still have that bond."

Bolich recruited amongst others, Lorhammer, senior captain Erica Van Tassel and senior Carmen Kondra. She conditioned and coached them for two season before taking the helm in Iowa. The swimmers have not seen her since last season's Big Ten Championships.

The Iowa meet is the last of the regular season for Penn State before it prepares for the conference championships at Indiana Feb. 19-21.

But for many Penn State senior swimmers, this last meet will mean hello and goodbye.

"It's been really emotional lately," Van Tassel said. "A part of me is really sad but I am also looking forward to having more time for myself."