The Penn State women's swimming and diving team finished in 13th place at the NCAA Championship meet at Purdue University with 87 points, despite sending the biggest squad in school history and fifth-largest in the country.

It was a mixed bag of results for the Nittany Lions, who fell short of a desired top-10 finish. However, 11 team members attained All-America status, which is awarded for finishing in the top 16 places of an event (honorable mention is given to places 9 through 16). A school record in the 400-yard freestyle relay fell, and despite swimming well, there was an overall feeling that the Lions could have swam better.

"I suppose that with our second-highest finish in school history I should be pleased, but instead I'm pretty disappointed," Penn State coach Bill Dorenkott said in a press release.

Senior Kristen Woodring cited a different energy level than that of the Big Ten meet as a reason for the team's results.

"We wanted to do well, but it's difficult coming off a Big Ten win like we did," Woodring said. "Sometimes you try your hardest and you don't get what you expect. You can't be too disappointed."

However, to say that the meet was an overall disappointment after winning the Big Ten title wouldn't capture the successes the Lions have already achieved and the months-long work they have done.

"In no way [did we] have a downhill finish," Woodring said. "There's more to swimming than times, something I've come to learn in my five years here."

Woodring earned All-America status in three events, including the 200- and 400-yard medley relays, both of which were seventh fastest in the country. Juniors Amberle Biedermann and Sarah Haupt, and senior Deirdre Dlugonski are also All-Americans for swimming in the medley relays.

Relays were a strength for the team, as the Lions scored points in all five. In addition to the medley relays, the team of Dlugonski, Haupt, sophomore Lauren Preyss and senior Lauren Semchyshen finished 15th in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Dlugonski, Preyss, Semchyshen and senior Jennifer Eberst finished 13th in the 400-yard freestyle relay, setting a school record with the time of 3:21.86. Preyss and sophomores Claire Hawley, Margy Keefe and Erin Morris took 15th place in the 800-yard event.

Individually, Haupt is an All-American in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing 11th in 54.01 seconds. The distance group yielded three All-America honors, with Morris finishing 15th in the 500-yard freestyle and 13th in the 1650-yard freestyle. Hawley took home 12th in the 1650-yard freestyle, and diver Alison Riccobono earned her All-America honor for finishing 16th in the 3-meter event with a score of 460.15.