 "Photo: Cait Fallon")
It was a record breaking weekend for the Warriors Swim Team at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships in Cumberland Valley, PA. The girls left East Stroudsburg University Thursday afternoon with over powering confidence, fully prepared to go fast.
“I was excited--really feeling good after a great season, and I knew I was ready to go fast,” senior captain Christine Swiker raved when asked what she was thinking going into this weekend.
Swiker was among those who broke records this weekend three times in her individual events (200 and 400 Individual Medley and the 200 butterfly), and she was also a part of both record- breaking relay teams. Swiker made excellent improvement from the two records she already held (200 and 400 IM) but picked up a new record when she swam the 200 fly. Judy Tooher’s set that record 29 years ago, and no one has touched it until now.
Along with Swiker, the record-breaking relay team had the additional strength from junior Sarah Roscioli, freshman Tara Robbinson and freshman Kimberly Lawson. The fantastic four were perfectly set in both the 400 Freestyle Relay and the 400 Medley Relay. Each member swam her hardest and came to drop the 400 Freestyle Relay record set in 2006 from the wall with a time of 3:37.84, which beat the old time by more than three seconds.
“It was really exciting and was the first time in four years that a relay record was broken so I am happy to share that moment with those girls,” Swiker added after the team came together to break the 400 Freestyle Relay.
Not only did Swiker show major improvements this weekend, but Roscioli also out touched her record in the 200 breast from last season’s Conference Championships with a time of 2:30.19. This will bring Roscioli’s name up five times on the ESU record board. She now holds records in the 50, 100 and 200 breast, and she has her name up there with the rest of the 400 medley and freestyle relay teams.
“It feels good to see my name on the record board and know that I did that; that it’s real,” Roscioli said after winning the final relay, realizing she was a part of swimming history at ESU.
Each member of this PSAC group has been working hard every day since Sept. 2009. There were not only personal bests from Roscioli and Swiker, but also from Junior Amy Rowland and senior Heather Van O’Linda.
Rowland swam her personal best in the 200 backstroke in prelims and Van O’Linda also made excellent improvements.
The team came in 11th place overall with 96 points, which matches its finish from the last two years.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships will wrap up the Lady Warriors’ swim season, but they won’t rest for long.
Coach Lisa Pizzuto will have them training again soon, but she will sadly have to say goodbye to four graduating seniors: Swiker, Van O’Linda, Samantha Hoch and Samantha Lusher. They were great leaders and swimmers for this team and each of them will be greatly missed when the swim season begins next fall.
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