Lions Defeat Penn State Altoona; Set New Pool Record in the 800 Freestyle Relay

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend women's swimming and diving team defeated Penn State Altoona 132-83 Saturday afternoon. Mia Pietropola (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum), Gwendolyn Lowery (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte), Lauren Rosato (Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley) and Anna Rose Watterson (Baldwin, PA/Seton-La Salle) combined to set a new pool record in the 800 freestyle relay. The team finished with a time of 8:33.50.

Watterson and Pietropola each won two events on the day and also contributed to two relay victories. Pietropola took first in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 breaststroke finishing with times of 1:10.92 and 2:32.98, respectively. Watterson took the 1000 freestyle with a time of 12:17.57. She also clocked in a 6:05.70 to win the 500 freestyle.

Emma Daghir (St. Marys, PA/Elk County Catholic) took three events winning the 50 freestyle, the 100 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. She posted a 25.92 in the 50 free, 58.19 in the 100 free and 1:16.67 in the butterfly.

In the 100 backstroke Lowry won by over six seconds with a time of 1:03.82. Kristin Owens (Erie, PA/McDowell) tallied a second place finish in the 100 breaststroke losing by just five hundredths of a second. Lowry also won the 200 backstroke while Allie Schneider (Erie, PA/McDowell) finished in second. The duo clocked in times of 2:15.21 and 2:29.65, respectively.

In the 100 butterfly, Rosato emerged victorious with a time of 1:09.50. Rosato and Schneider placed second and third in the 200 freestyle finishing with times of 2:10.33 and 2:15.71 respectively.

Pietropola, Lowery, Schneider and Daghir won the 200 medley relay. The squad won by over 16 seconds and notched a time of 1:58.62.

The Lions return to action January 17 against Washington and Jefferson. The start time is slated for 1 p.m.