The Indiana University of Pennsylvania women’s and men’s swim teams finished up the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships over the weekend in fourth and fifth place, respectively. The four-day event, held Feb. 14-17 at Cumberland Valley High School, was highlighted by record-breaking individual efforts on both sides of the gender pool.
IUP men’s swimmer Brandon Hopkins gained three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference qualifying times during Saturday’s meet against Gannon and Bloomsburg. Hopkins gained qualifying times in the following races: 400 IM, 1000 free and 1650 free time trial.
IUP’s men and women’s swim teams finished up the weekend with a three day meet at Akron’s 2012 Zippy Invitational, breaking two records. Brandon Hopkins and Rudy De Costa each broke two school records for the men. Hopkins’ second record was in the 1,650 free with a time of 16:03.
Both the men’s and women’s swim teams beat Shippensburg Friday 122-80 and 109-91, respectively with 29 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference qualifying times. The men won nine events, highlighted by Doug McWhorter, Matthew Nakagama and Brandon Hopkins who grabbed a duo of wins, with all three men also gaining a pair of qualifying times; Hopkins in 1,000 free and 200 breast, McWhorter in 100 free and 200 free, and Nakagama in 500 free and 1,000 free.
The IUP men’s and women’s swimming teams swept Edinboro in dual meet action at the Pidgeon Natatorium, Saturday. A total of 33 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference qualifying standards were set by the Crimson Hawks. Both the women and men defeated the Fighting Scots with scores of 144-115 and 141-116, respectively.
The IUP men’s and women’s swim teams have been honored with the “Volunteers of the Month” award by the Indiana County Y. “The Y of Indiana County would like to thank the IUP men’s and women’s swimming teams for their volunteer work,” Y Director of Membership and Program Development Jen Villa said.
The IUP swim program has hired their first assistant coach to the varsity team, Josh Huger. Huger got his start competing as a swimmer for his four to five years at IUP. He received both his undergraduate degree in sport administration and his master’s degree in sports studies, both at IUP.
Thursday night marked the start of the PSAC Championships at Cumberland Valley High School. Day one was highlighted by record breaking performances by Brandon Hopkins and the women's 200-meter medley relay team.
Senior Jackie Hynson, one of the best swimmers in IUP, will participate in one of her last meets as a member of the IUP swim team this weekend at the PSAC Championships in Mechanicsburg.
The IUP swim team hosted the Crimson Hawk Invite at the John A. Pidgeon Natatorium Friday and Saturday, with both the men and the women finishing 2-0 against Bloomsburg and Gannon at the end of day one.
The Crimson Hawks competed in the Zippy Invitational at the University of Akron last weekend. At the end of the weekend, the men finished in sixth place as the women took 10th.
IUP enters this week’s pivotal matchup against Clarion with the news that they’re seventh in the first regional rankings of the year. Seventh isn’t the place that any team wants to be this time of the year.
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