2007-2008 NEWS
 

Cummings to attend NCAA Women's Coaches Academy 4.6.08 Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming and diving coach Nanette Cummings will attend the 2008 NCAA Women's Coaches Academy from June 7-11 in Atlanta, Georgia.  Cummings was one of three coaches from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference selected to attend, joining Frostburg State basketball coach Jody Pepple and Penn State Behrend softball coach Stacy Pondo.  According to its website, the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy has three primary objectives:  1) Provide professional development in areas other than X's and O's.  2) Inspire and motivate women coaches to remain in the profession.  3) Provide a framework for interaction between women in all aspects of athletics.  The academy is open to any coach in any sport in any NCAA division, however, space is limited to only 25 coaches per session.  The idea for a Women's Coaches Academy was hatched in 2002 after the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) supported an initiative to train, support and retain women coaches.  Cummings just completed her sixth season as head swimming and diving coach at Penn State Altoona.

Cummings

Swimming and Diving places 12 on all-conference team 2.28.08 Thanks to strong finishes from both the men and women at this year's AMCC Championships, nine individuals and seven teams from Penn State Altoona were named AMCC all-conference selections Thursday.  For the men, a second place team finished created a number of all-conference honorees.  The first-team winners included Matt Dietrich (Manheim, PA/ Manheim Central) for the 400IM and Dan Bodde (Shippensburg, PA/ Shippensburg) for the 100 Free.  Teams that qualified for first team were the 200 Medley Relay team of Dietrich, Jon Bednar (Northhampton, PA/ Northhampton), Brian Dau (Princeton, NJ/ Notre Dame), and Chris Hickey (West Chester, PA/ West Chester East).  Individuals on the second team all-AMCC roster for the Lions were Bednar (100 Breast) and Dau (200 fly).  There were four teams that earned second team distinction including the 200 Free Relay team of Dietrich, Dau, Bodde, and Hickey, the 400 Medley Relay team of Bednar, Dietrich, Dau, and Bodde, the 800 Free Relay team of Bednar, Bodde, Hickey, and Dan Palermo (Garnet Valley, PA/ Garnet Valley), and the 400 Free Relay team of Dau, Bodde, Hickey, and Palermo.  On the women's side, the women also finished runner-up in the team AMCC standings.  Sophomore standout Brittany Yingling (Hollidaysburg, PA/ Hollidaysburg High School) took home three individual all-conference awards, including two first teams in the 200IM and 100 Back and a second team honor in the 200 Back.  Her teammates also racked up some individual honors as first-teamer Megan Warner (Hollidaysburg, PA/ Hollidaysburg) won the 200 Breast and second-teamers Kristen Estoscin (Saltsburg, PA/ Kiski Area) (100 Fly), Brittany Bauer (Doylestown, PA/ Central Bucks South) (200 Breast), and Vita McHale (Emmaus, PA/ Emmaus) (1M diving) were victorious in their events.  The women also had two teams named to the second team all-conference, the 200 Free Relay team of Lauren Brenner (Hollidaysburg, PA/ Hollidaysburg), Bauer, Yingling, and Emily McAleer (Altoona, PA/ Altoona) and the 200 Medley Relay team of Brenner, Bauer, Warner, and McAleer.  The sixteen combined all-conference awards matches the number the Lion men and women took home last year.  For the complete men's all-conference list CLICK HERE, and for the women's list CLICK HERE.

Matt Dietrich Dan Bodde Brittany Yingling

Men's and women's swimming finish second at AMCC Championships
2.16.08
For the second straight year, the Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming and diving teams finished runner-up at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships.  Penn State Behrend repeated as champion with team scores of 188 (women) and 311 (men).  The Altoona Lions earned individual event victories from sophomore Brittany Yingling, who emerged as the conference champion in the 100 Yard Backstroke by clocking a 1:04.79.  She also notched a personal best time in the 200 IM (2:26.66).  Classmate Megan Warner got the win in the 200 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 2:57.46.  As a team, the Lion women accumulated 124 points to narrowly edge third place Frostburg State (121).  Pitt-Bradford finished fourth with 23 total points.  On the men's side, the Penn State Altoona  200 Yard Medley Relay team comprised of Matt Dietrich, Jon Bednar, Bryan Dau, and Chris Hickey captured first place honors among AMCC squads, finishing with a time of 1:44.39.  Dietrich edged Frostburg's Griffin Williams in the 400 Yard IM to capture that event's individual championship with a time of 4:35.56.  Bednar set a new personal best time in the 500 Freestyle (5:13.21).  The Lions scored 132 team points compared to just 81 by third place Pitt-Bradford and 67 by fourth place Frostburg State.  Bobcat senior Shannon Dunnigan and Behrend junior Sarah Breese tied for the high point scorer of the women's competition, while Behrend sophomore Tom Weir and senior Dustin Fairchild did the same on the men's side.  The championships were held as part of the larger Grove City Invitational, which featured the four AMCC institutions and six Presidents Athletic Conference member schools.  Overall, the Penn State Altoona women finished ninth while the Lion men checked in at sixth.  CLICK HERE for full results from the 2008 AMCC Swimming and Diving Championships.

Day two of AMCC Championships complete
2.15.08
After day two of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Swimming Championships, the Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming and diving teams find themselves in second place behind AMCC power Penn State Behrend heading into Saturday's final events.  The Lion women (135 points) are only 14 behind the Erie Lions while the Altoona men, with 124 points, trail Penn State Behrend by nearly 100.  Frostburg State is third while Pitt-Bradford checks in at fourth on both the men's and women's sides.  The Penn State Altoona men's 200 Yard Medley Relay team comprised of Matt Dietrich, Jon Bednar, Bryan Dau, and Chris Hickey captured the AMCC Championship in their respective event, finishing with a time of 1:44.39.  Dietrich edged Frostburg's Griffin Williams in the 400 Yard IM to capture the individual championship with a time of 4:35.56.  On the women's side, sophomore Brittany Yingling emerged as the conference champion in the 100 Yard Backstroke, clocking a 1:04.79.  The AMCC Championships, which are being held in conjunction with the Presidents Athletic Conference Championships as part of the Grove City Invitational, features four AMCC schools and six PAC institutions.  In the overall standings, the Lion women are eighth out of 10 teams, and the men are sixth out of nine competing squads.  Washington & Jefferson currently leads the women's field while host Grove City is atop the men's standings.  Continue to check the official Grove City Invitational official meet site (CLICK HERE) for the latest results and information.

Swimming teams in second after first day of AMCC Championship
2.14.08
The Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming teams are in second place in the AMCC standings after day one of the Grove City Invitational and Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships.  Both squads are sixth overall and trail only Penn State Behrend in conference competition.  The women have accumulated 68 points while the men check in with 57.  Grove City leads the overall men's race with 249 team points, and fellow Presidents Athletic Conference member Washington & Jefferson is on top of the women's meet with 256 points.  Highlighting the day for Penn State Altoona were performances by Jonathan Bednar, who set a new personal best time in the 500 Freestyle (5:13.21) and Brittany Yingling, who also notched a personal best in the 200 IM (2:26.66).  The meet continues Friday from Grove City College.  Use the link in the above story to follow all the action LIVE!

Men rout, women fall against Hood
1.27.08
Penn State Altoona's swim teams had a spilt decision Sunday against Hood College at the Adler Pool. The Men won 7 of the 11 events on the way to a 116-67 victory over the Blazers. Bryan Dau took victories in both the 50 yd freestyle and the 100 yd breaststroke. Altoona also received victories from Dan Bodde, Matt Dietrich, and Jon Bednar.  The Lions rounded out their first place finishes with victories in both relays. The men have now won four out of their last five meets. On the women's side, Hood took first place in all events and won 122-71. A bright spot for Altoona was Vita McHale who won the diving event with a score of 192.25. The Lions are back in action Saturday at IUP for a tri-meet against the Division II Crimson Hawks and Juniata College.  

Swimming splits tri-Meet with Behrend, Frostburg
1.21.08
The Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming and diving teams traveled to Frostburg State this past Saturday for an AMCC tri-meet against Frostburg State and Penn State Behrend.  Both squads came away victorious against the Bobcats but were defeated by Behrend and .  The men earned a 56-39 win while the women narrowly escaped by a score of 53-50.  For the second part of the tri-meet the men were defeated by Penn State Behrend 58-46, with the women also falling by a score of 64-43.  Freshman Matt Dietrich earned a first place in the men's 200 meter IM, while fellow freshman Dan Bodde captured first place in the 100 meter free-style.  On the women's side, sophomore Brittany Yingling won the 100 meter backstroke and the 200 meter medley team comprised of Yingling, Lauren Brenner, Kristin Estoscin, and Emily McAler also captured the first place finish.  Both squads will return to action next Sunday, January 27 as they take on Hood College in a 1:00 PM home meet.

Swimming nabs pair of wins at Pitt-Bradford
1.12.08
The Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming and diving teams began the new year with a pair of wins over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference foe Pitt-Bradford Saturday afternoon in Bradford.  The Lion women were 66-38 winners while the men easily topped the host Panthers 125-41.  Sophomore Brittany Yingling (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) and freshman Brittany Bauer (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks South) each captured two first place finishes for Altoona and were also members of the winning 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team.  Freshman Kristin Estocsin (Saltsburg, PA/Kiski Area) also scored a first place finish for the Lion women, who improved to 1-0 in AMCC competition.  On the men's side, Penn State Altoona boasted the top individual or team finisher in every event.  Sophomore Jon Bednar (Northampton, PA/Northampton), and freshmen Bryan Dau (Princeton, NJ/Notre Dame), Matt Dietrich (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central), Dan Palermo (Garnet Valley, PA/Garnet Valley), and Dan Bodde (Shippensburg, PA/Shippensburg) won two different events and helped Penn State Altoona to its third consecutive dual meet win.  The Lion men and women will now prepare for an AMCC tri-meet with Frostburg State and Penn State Behrend next Saturday, January 19, at 1:00 PM in Erie. 

Men win, women fall at swim meet with Gallaudet
11.18.07
The Penn State Altoona men's swimming and diving team earned a convincing 117-57 win Sunday afternoon over Gallaudet University at the Adler Pool.  The Bison edged the Altoona women by a score of 104-87.  Penn State Altoona finished first in nine of the 11 men's events while the Lion women captured seven first place times in 12 competitions.  Jon Bednar, Dan Bodde, and Bryan Dau each had two first place finishes on the afternoon to lead the Altoona men.  Bednar clocked a 1:07.52 in the 100 Yard Breaststroke and a 5:17.10 in the 500 Yard Freestyle.  Bodde had a 52:13 in the 100 Yard Freestyle and a 1:55.63 in the 200 Free. Dau excelled in the 100 Yard Butterfly (58:14) and the 50 Yard Freestyle (24:21) to help the Lions to their largest victory of the season.  For the women, Brittany Yingling was the only two-time first place finisher for Altoona, timing a 1:07.91 in the 100 Backstroke and a 2:34.64 in the 200 Yard IM.  Teammates Lauren Brenner, Courtney Woodring, and Brittany Bauer also recorded first place finishes in their respective events.  The Lion men's and women's 200 Medley Relay teams were victorious, and women's diver Vita McHale completed her afternoon with a total score of 170.50.  Gallaudet notched victories in the last two team events, the 200 Yard Men's and Women's Freestyle Relays, to set the final scores.  Penn State Altoona has nearly a two month layoff before returning to action on January 12, 2008, in an AMCC dual meet at Pitt-Bradford. 

Women win, men fall in dual meet against St. Vincent
11.3.07
The Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming teams took on St. Vincent College Saturday afternoon in a 30-event meet at the Adler Pool.  The women walked away with an impressive 121-108 win over the Bearcats and picked up their first dual meet win of the season.  Brittany Bauer, Brittany Yingling, and Courtney Woodring all took home first place finishes, while Bauer and Yingling had two each.  The women were also highlighted by a 200 yard medley win from the team of Megan Warner, Kirsten Estocsin, Yingling, and Woodring.  The Altoona men did not have the same good fortune that the women did, falling to St. Vincent by one point, 126-125.  The men's  400 yard freestyle medley team of Matt Dietrich, Bryan Dau, Dan Palermo, and Dan Bodde took home a first place finish.  Individually, the men were led by firsts from Palermo, Bodde, Dau, Chris Hickey, and Jon Bednar.  The men and women will both be back in action on November 18 at the Adler Pool against the Bison of Gallaudet.

Men's and women's swimming competes at Westminster, Pitt-Bradford Relays
10.27.07
The Penn State Altoona men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed in two meets this past weekend.  On Friday, October 26, they competed in the Westminster Relays and finished fifth in the six-team meet.  For the men, this included a third place finish in both the 300 yard backstroke relay and the 1500 yard freestyle relay.  The women were highlighted by a fourth place finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay.  On the following day, the two teams competed in the Pitt-Bradford Relays and improved in the standings, finishing second out of five teams.  The mixed 200 yard medley team of Brittany Yingling, Jon Bednar, Bryan Dau, and Courtney Woodring took home first as did the men's 300 yard backstroke, men's 800 yard freestyle, women's 400 yard IM, and men's 500 yard freestyle teams.  The next meet for Altoona comes on November 3 when they host St. Vincent College at the Adler Pool.

Swimming loses dual meet at Chatham
10.20.07
The Penn State Altoona women's swimming and diving team suffered a 112-68 setback at the hands of Chatham College on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.  The dual meet showcased 12 events which included ten individual, a 200 Yard Medley Relay, and a 200 Yard Freestyle Relay.  Sophomore Courtney Woodring, along with teammates Kristin Estoscin, Brittany Bauer, and Lauren Brenner, vaulted the Lions to a first place finish in the 200 Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:52.34.  Brittany Bauer also captured first place in the 500 Yard Freestyle (6:06.37) while Brittany Yingling won the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 1:08.49.  The Lions fell to 0-2 on the season and will return to action this Friday, October 26, for a 6:00 PM meet at the Westminster Relays.