YORK, Pa. – IUP sophomore
Paige Mikesell set the bar high with a couple of titles and three records as the Crimson Hawks competed on the opening day of the 2020 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships Wednesday at the Graham Aquatic Center.
Mikesell opened the championships with her first individual conference crown, winning the 200 yard IM with a time of 2:02.08. it was one of two NCAA B standard times the sophomore had on the day.
In addition to her individual title, she swam the lead leg of IUP's winning 800 yard freestyle relay. Mikesell opened with a 200 yard free time of 1:49.32, which not only broke a school record but also set a new PSAC championship record in the process. It was her second NCAA B standard of the day.
She wasn't the only one to excel during the relay as freshman
Amber Baldini posted a time of 1:52.70 on her third leg, also an NCAA B standard time.
With
Michelle Lopes swimming the second leg and
Gabrielle Gironda anchoring, the relay team broke the school record with a time of 7:33.00.
Other top-10 IUP women finishers on day one included
Rachel Johnson, third in the 200 IM (2:06.61);
Olivia Santee, sixth in the 1000 freestyle (10:28.42); and
Colleen Como, 10th in the 1000 freestyle (10:35.83).
The women's 200 yard medley relay also finished sixth with a time of 1:50.03.
On the men's side,
Ryan Hartmann had IUP's top finish by touching the wall in fourth place in the 200 IM with a time of 1:51.91.
Shane Scudder finished 10th in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 9:54.79.
Team standings
The IUP women finished the first day third out of 12 teams with 285 total points. West Chester leads the way with 421 while Bloomsburg is second with 304.
For the men, IUP is sixth out of seven teams with 84 points. West Chester is also the team leader with 184 points with Bloomsburg in second at 178.
Up next
The second day picks up Thursday with the 10 a.m. prelims. More information at PSACsports.org.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP men's and women's swimming programs, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPswimming and online at IUPAthletics.com.
