The Penn State men's swimming and diving team went to the Big Ten championships in Minnesota looking to improve upon its score of nearly 300 points last season. They came back short of that goal, scoring 250 points and finishing eighth in the conference meet.

No. 6 Minnesota won the meet by scoring just three more points than Indiana. The Golden Gophers scored 720 points to the Hoosiers' 717, locking up their fourth Big Ten title in five years. Fittingly, the Gophers jumped into the pool with championship shirts, hats and the Big Ten trophy.

Though no Penn State swimmers achieved NCAA "A" cut times, which would have automatically qualified them for the NCAA championship meet, the Lions earned nine "B" times, granting them consideration for the national meet.

"Am I disappointed with finishing eighth? You better believe it. Am I excited for the future? Yes," Penn State coach Bill Dorenkott said.

Six of the 11 swimmers who scored points for the Nittany Lions are either freshmen or sophomores.

Freshman Sean Biedermann, sophomore Dan Kaiserian and senior Daryl Northrup each placed in three events.

Freshman Kyle Miranda finished sixth in the 200-yard breaststroke, the highest individual finish for any Lion. Miranda and classmate Sean Swanepoel were half of the 200 medley relay team that placed fifth. Swanepoel, Northrop, freshman Chris Ippoliti and senior Patrik Johansson earned a "B" time of 1:20.74 in the 200 freestyle relay.

Penn State is the only team besides Minnesota and Michigan to win the Big Ten men's title in the past 11 years. Since the Lions' 1999 championship season, they have been unable to compete with the talent-laden teams at the top of the league that feature Olympians and national team members.

Since Dorenkott replaced Peter Brown as coach of the men's team four seasons ago, the Lions have dropped in the Big Ten standings each year. The Lions finished third in the conference in 2002, fifth in 2003, seventh in 2004 and eighth this season.

"Here we are, four years later, and I think we should be better, and I own that, whether it's through recruiting or doing a better job of coaching," Dorenkott said prior to the Big Ten meet. "My first year with the men, we were top 15 in the country. We haven't been back there since, and that is an overwhelming disappointment to me. That's what we're working to get back to."