CLARION, PA - The West Chester University womens swimming team will attempt to win its second straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship and fifth in the past six years beginning on Wednesday evening in Clarion, PA.
The Golden Rams (8-3) will put their title on the line when the PSACs begin with the 1000-yard freestyle on Wednesday evening and run through Saturday night when this years league champion will be crowned.
The Golden Rams return multiple individual champions from last years squad, including senior Tammy Leane (Goodwood, Australia/South Australia) who won six conference championships (200 & 400 IM, 200 breast, 400 & 800 free relay, 400 medley relay) last year to go along with her NCAA Division II National titles in the 500 free and 400 IM. She was a seven-time All-American as well.
Since returning from Australia in January, Leane has been named the PSAC Womens Swimmer of the Week on two different occasions. She earned the honor on February 7 after leading WCU to a win over Bloomsburg and performing well in a loss vs. Division I Penn.
Against Bloomsburg on February 4, she qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 500 free by recording an NCAA A cut time of 4:59.45. She also captured the 200 butterfly posting an NCAA B cut mark of 2:10.41. Against Division I Pennsylvania on February 3, she earned victories in the 1000 free (10:09.55), 200 IM (2:08.01) and 200 back (2:06.60), posting an NCAA A cut time in the 200 IM and an NCAA B cut mark in the 200 back.
On January 24, she claimed the PSAC Womens Swimmer of the Week award as WCU swept the College of New Jersey and Johns Hopkins on January 20-21.
She won five events that featured four NCAA B cut times. Her cut times were recorded in the 200 IM (2:11.88), 200 back (2:08.93), 200 free (1:55.27) and 100 back (59.91). Leane also handled the third leg of the winning 800 free relay team (8:05.19).
Sophomore Katie Kollar (Emmaus/Emmaus) is back after winning four PSAC Championships in four relay races (200, 400 & 800 free, 200 medley) last year, while senior captain Julie Keefer (Palmyra/Palmyra) joined Kollar on the three free relays and was part of the 400 medley relay championship squad.
Sophomore Kate Jones (Spring Grove/Spring Grove) participated on the 200 free and 200 medley relay title teams, sophomore Alyssa Smidlein (The Woodlands, TX/The Woodlands) and junior Kori Kilfeather (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) served on the winning 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay, respectively.
On February 4 at home vs. Bloomsburg, West Chester closed out the 2005-06 regular season schedule by defeating Bloomsburg 105-100 inside the Graham Natatorium on WCUs South Campus.
Leane continued to swim herself into championship shape by qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Championships in the 500-yard free.
She recorded a winning time of 4:59.45, complementing her 200-yard butterfly victory that featured a mark of 2:10.41.
Leane also earned a third victory when she swam the third leg of the winning 400 free relay race. The quartet of Keefer, red-shirt freshman Kathrin Dumitru (Kunzell, Germany), Leane and Kollar posted a winning mark of 3:41.21. Dumitru also won the 1650 free (17:53.20).
Keefer earned a second win when she anchored the first-place 400-yard medley relay squad that posted a winning time of 4:09.03. Junior Jamie Broadbent (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan), sophomore Heile Flannery (Wayne/Radnor) and Smidlein served on the first three 100-yard legs.
Jones captured the 50 free in 24.76, while senior captain Carlee Carew (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) took the 200 back (2:11.75).
Leane and Dumitru each won three events, but Division I Penn knocked off West Chester 151-92 on February 3 in Philadelphia. Leane captured the 1000-yard free in 10:09.55, won the 200 IM in 2:08.01, and took first-place honors in the 200 back with a 2:06.60. Dumitru collected a victory in the 200 fly (2:04.46), 500 free (4:59.11) and 200 breast (2:19.37).
Jones was also a winner for the Golden Rams after she took top honors in the 50 free with a time of 24.98.
Traveling from Western Pennsylvania to New Haven, CT, the West Chester defeated host Southern Connecticut State University on Sunday, January 29, 134-104 in a dual-meet contest.
Leane won three more events for West Chester as she took first place in the 1000 free (10:33.71), the 400 IM (4:29.32) and the 200 back (2:07.67).
Dumitru won the 200 free (1:53.97) and 100 free (53.15) races, while Keefer took top honors in the 50 free (24.98).
The 400 medley relay foursome of Carew, Jones, Kilfeather and junior Erin West (East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg) posted a winning time of 4:08.54.
West Chester beat IUP 287-82 but lost to Clarion 200-170 on January 27-28 in a tri-meet held in Clarion, PA. The two-day event began on a Friday evening, concluded on a Saturday morning, and was a prelude to the PSAC Championships.
The Golden Rams were led by Dumitru and Leane who each won four events. Leane captured the 1650 free (17:34.66), 100 back (2:07.43), 200 free (1:55.76) and 500 free (5:10.06), while Dumitru took first place in the 200 IM (2:09.11), 100 breast (1:04.87), 200 breast (2:22.05) and 400 IM (4:31.74).
The foursome of Carew, Jones, Kilfeather and Kollar teamed up to win the 400 medley relay in 4:02.00, while Jones took the 50 free (25.25) and Kilfeather swept the 100 fly (58.87) and 200 fly (2:13.34) events. The same foursome also won the 200 medley relay in 1:52.34.
West Chester swept Johns Hopkins and the College of New Jersey in a two-day meet hosted by WCU on January 20-21. The Golden Rams defeated Johns Hopkins 181-142 and knocked off the College of New Jersey 218-131.
West Chester was led by Leane who captured the 200 IM (2:11.88) and the 200 back (2:08.93), while Dumitru won the 50 free (24.72), 1650 free (17:25.30), and handled the second leg of the first-place 400 medley relay squad (3:59.11). Carew, Kilfeather and West all served on the team.
On the first night of the competition, the Golden Rams were led by a pair of divers in freshman Heather Varas (Essington/Interboro) and sophomore Samantha Phillips (Port Carbon/Pottsville) who both qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships on the one-meter board. Varas placed second after compiling 253 points, while Phillips took third with her 251.80 total.
Leane made her triumphant return this semester a splash when she handled the third leg of the winning 800 free relay team (8:05.19) and won both the 200 free (1:55.27) and the 100 back (59.91). She wound up a triple-winner in her first meet since winning her two Division II National Championships last season.
In addition to Leane, the 800 free relay squad featured Carew in the lead role, sophomore Christiana Angstadt (Kutztown/Fleetwood) handling the second leg and Kollar serving as the anchor. Carew also was on the winning 200 free relay (1:41.40) team with Keefer, Dumitru and Smidlein, while Kollar swam the second leg of the first-place 200-yard medley relay squad (1:51.44).
Dumitru picked up a second victory on the 200 medley relay team, while Kilfeather and Jones also handled 50-yard segments on the squad. Smidlein was a double-winner after she captured the 100 fly in 1:01.69.
