The charge started Friday evening as Penn State's 400-medley relay team of Sarah Haupt, Kristen Woodring, Amberle Biederman, and Dee Dlugonski captured its second victory of the meet.
Penn State kept the momentum rolling throughout Friday and Saturday, with individual victories from Haupt, Woodring and Biederman, and strong performances by a number of swimmers including freestyle specialists Margy Keefe, Sally Anderson and Megan Palera, and breast stroke specialist Courtney Stanchock.
Finally, with only two events remaining, Penn State led Michigan by 34 points.
Simply mediocre performances from the 400-freestyle relay team and the platform divers would have locked up Penn State's second Big Ten title in three years.
The 400-freestyle team held up its end of the bargain, leaving only one problem -- Penn State doesn't have a platform diving team.
In fact, the McCoy Natatorium doesn't even have a platform diving tower.
"The only thing we needed to do better this weekend to win was have a tower," Penn State swimming and diving coach Bill Dorenkott said. "We need to get a tower. Period."
With Penn State not represented, Michigan grabbed 32 points in the platform dive, placed first in the 400-freestyle, and walked away with the Big Ten title.
"You score 20 events and we win. You score 21 and we finish second; it's as simple as that," said a frustrated Dorenkott.
When asked whether he has petitioned the university for a tower during his tenure as coach, Dorenkott said, "My job is to coach, not to get towers."
