Senior splash

Seven Senior swimwomen lead rout of Iowa in final appearances at home

Divided loyalties and emotions ran rampant Saturday at the McCoy Natatorium.

Penn State coach Bob Krimmel said he was glad the women's swim team (8-4, 2-4 Big Ten) defeated Iowa (6-4, 3-4) 173-124, but was sad to lose seven seniors to graduation. Those seniors said they felt the same way.

"It was an emotional day," Lady Lion senior Erica Van Tassel said. "My goggles were filling up with tears, but I tried to suppress it."

Iowa coach Mary Bolich, who was Penn State's assistant coach for seven seasons, said she was happy to be back at Penn State but was disappointed in her team's performance.

"It was hard to come back and coach against Penn State because I am still very loyal to Penn State," Bolich said. "I wish we would have given them a better meet."

Before the meet began, Krimmel honored the seven graduating seniors on the team -- Elissa Bellairs, Carol Girvin, Amy Holt, Carmen Kondra, Karna Lorhammer, Liz Rossi and Van Tassel.

Bolich and Penn State assistant coach Fran McDermid presented each swimmer with a Penn State blanket which they draped over their shoulders.

Riding a wave of high emotion, the team didn't get rattled by the tears shed during the Senior Day ceremony. The team started with a victory in the first event -- the 200-medley relay -- and did not look back.

Kondra and Lorhammer led the relay team to its best time of the season.

"It all came together for us," Kondra said. "The presentation was very emotional but the team was supportive and that made us swim fast."

Kondra also won two freestyle events -- the 50-yard and the 100-yard. Lorhammer won both breaststroke events and the 400-yard individual medley.

The team, despite the distractions of losing seven graduating seniors and Bolich's return, remained focused and won its second conference meet, the first since a Nov. 19 win at Purdue.

"It was a nice conference win confidence-wise," Krimmel said. "Iowa defeated some Big Ten teams we didn't get to face, so that gives us confidence for the Big Ten Championships."

Bolich attributed her team's loss in part to the relative youth of her squad. She said her team is still very young, with only one senior. The Lady Hawkeyes did not go down easily, winning both diving events, but not even a strong finish was enough to overcome Penn State's early lead.

Seniors weren't the only swimmers who helped Penn State lock up this convincing victory. Freshman Katie Anderson won the grueling 1000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly. Sophomore Kelli Keane was part of the 200 medley team and won the 100-yard backstroke.

Junior freestyler Arianne Adams won the 200 and 500 events.

This was the team's last regular season meet of the year and for the seniors it was their last ever. They made it count. The Lady Lions will carry a four-meet winning streak into the Big Ten Championships Feb. 19-21.

"That was the most emotional dual meet I've ever competed in," Lorhammer said. "But there was no way we were going to let Iowa beat us."