PSAC Championships: West Chester Shines

MECHANICSBURG, Pennsylvania, February 25. FOR the sixth time in the last eight years, the West Chester men's and women's swimming teams have both captured conference championships as the two teams won their 21st and sixth overall titles, respectively, Sunday night on the final day of the 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Swimming Championships held at Cumberland Valley High School.

For the Golden Ram men, it is their 10th consecutive title which is the second-longest streak in conference history behind Clarion, who won 19-straight from 1971 to 1989. More importantly, it was the 50th anniversary of the PSAC men's championship which was first contested back in 1959.

West Chester, who also won the inaugural conference title, totaled 919 points which was 287.5 ahead of second-place Clarion and more than the Bloomsburg men totaled over the entire four-day event. The Golden Rams won 14 of the 19 men's events and scored 309.5 points more than their total of 609.5 a year ago.

Shippensburg finished third for the second-straight year with 451.5 points while Kutztown and Edinboro rounded out the top-five.

On the women's side, West Chester has won all six of its titles in the last eight years, interrupted only by Clarion who had victories in 2004 and 2006. The Golden Rams totaled 703 points after winning eight of the 19 events, six of which involved Jackie Borkowski.

Clarion finished second with 523.5 points, followed by Indiana (Pa.), Edinboro and Bloomsburg.

Ryan Thiel of Clarion and Edinboro's Brooke Heath were named as the men's and women's Swimmer of the Meet, respectively.

Thiel won three events as an individual in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle, helping total 196 points for the Golden Eagles. Meanwhile Heath also won three events in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley and totaled 178 points for the Fighting Scots.

Thiel and Heath were both winners in the 100 free and 200 breast on Sunday while serving as anchor legs on their teams' respective 400-yard freestyle relay teams.

Heath's teammate Marie Nedley started the night off with a victory in the 1,650-yard freestyle for Edinboro, finishing nearly 17 seconds ahead of Danielle Ierley of West Chester with an NCAA 'A' cut time of 17:25.99.

On the men's side, West Chester's Rod King took home first place over teammate Ben Kuntz. King would later team with Brendan Fanslau, Bill Marcum and Matt Golebiewski to help the Golden Rams win the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Amanda Terray of Lock Haven picked up the Lady Eagles' only victory of the weekend in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing with an 'A' cut time of 2:04.27, just ahead of defending champion Lori Leitzinger of Clarion.

In the 200 back, Pawel Glowiak of IUP took first with an 'A' cut time of 1:51.51 as he beat defending champion Devin Canfield of West Chester who placed second. Glowiak had a strong case for men's swimmer of the meet honors as he was a two-time winner in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke while finishing second in the 200 IM and totaling 183 points for the Crimson Hawks.

West Chester's Marek Malopolski was also a strong candidate for men's swimmer of the meet as he competed in five events, earning first in all five, including three as an individual in the 200 IM, 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. He helped contribute 140 points towards the Golden Rams' total of 919.

Borkowski finished with two more victories for West Chester on the final day, capturing her third individual title of the weekend in the 100 free and helping the Golden Ram women take first in the 400 free relay.

Erin Fischer and David Smoker were also winners for the Golden Rams on Sunday as each posted victories in the 200 back.

Special thanks to PSAC for contributing this report.

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