Clarion University’s Women’s swimming team reclaimed the PSAC team title which was hosted at IUP from February 18-21st at Memorial Field House. In the process the Golden Eagles won their 25^th PSAC title in the 29 years of the championship and saw Bethany Bankovich named the "Women’s Swimmer of the Meet".

Clarion took the team title with 894.5 points, while defending champion West Chester finished second with 773 and Shippensburg was third with 408 and host IUP was fourth with 395.5. Rounding out the 13 team field were fifth place Bloomsburg with 288, Lock Haven sixth at 268, Slippery Rock seventh with 249.5, Kutztown eighth with 230, California ninth with 225.5, East Stroudsburg tenth with 216, Edinboro eleventh with 70, Millersville twelfth at 56 and Mansfield thirteenth with 51.

Clarion has won 25 of the 29 conference titles conducted by the PSAC since the women’s championship was started in 1976. The Golden Eagles won the PSAC’s first 23 titles (1976-98), but in 1999 IUP dethroned the Golden Eagles in the closest meet in PSAC history (399.5 - 396.5). In 2000, at IUP, Clarion took the title back earning their 24^th crown. West Chester won three straight (2001-03) before the Eagles recaptured the title this year.

The title was the first under fourth year head coach Mark VanDyke, who was part of 11 PSAC titles as an assistant coach form 1989-2000 (12 years). "Our swimmers did a fantatstic job this weekend," said the Clarion coach. "We swam very fast and everyone contributed to the title. All 18 swimmers scored," he continued. "We had some great individual performances, but our quality depth scoring was the difference. It feels great to be back on top."

Leading the way for the Golden Eagles was senior, tri-captain Bethany Bankovich (Latrobe). Voted by the coaches as the women’s "Swimmer of the Meet", she won all three individual events she swam and posted NCAA D-II qualifying times in each event. She won the 200 yard IM (2:08.52), the 100 yard butterfly (57.02) and the 200 butterfly (2:07.30). She was also part of the winning 400 free relay (3:31.69) and the second place 400 medley (3:58.37) and 800 free relays (7:46.12).

Also standing in the winners circle this weekend were Katie Kuntz (Fr. N. Canton, Oh.), Megan Trimbur (Sr. Warren, Oh./Harding), Jessica Brutz (Sr. Johnstown/Richland), Bethany Turse (Sr. Swedesboro, J.J.), Kristy Clarke (Camp Hall, N.Y./Washingtonville) and Brittany Hanzl (Fr. Allentown/Wm. Allen).

Kuntz, a freshman, won the 400 yard I.M. with a time of 4:36.30. She also placed 4^th in the 200 I.M. (2:11.68) and 5^th in the 1000 free (10:37.44).

Trimbur, a senior tri-captain, had three individual second place finishes. She was second in the 500 free (5:04.06) and 200 free (1:53.39), both NCAA qualifying times. She was also second in the 100 free (53.07). Trimbur was part of the winning and NCAA qualifying 400 free relay (3:31.69), and on the second place finishing 200 medley (1.47.81), 400 medley (3:58.37) and 800 free (7:46.12) relays.

Brutz, a senior but in her first PSAC swims, placed 2^nd in the 50 free (24.50), 3^rd in the 100 free (53.15) and 8^th in the 100 butterfly (1:00.67) in individual events. She was part of the winning 200 free (1:37.08) and 400 free relays (3:31.69) and the second place 200 medley relay (1:47.81). All three were NCAA qualifying times.

Turse, also a senior and tri-captain, placed fifth in both the 50 free (24.77) and the 100 free (54.27), and 11^th in the 200 free (2:01.23). She was part of the winning 200 free (1:37.08) and 400 (3:31.69) free relays.

Clarke, a freshman, placed 4^th in the 100 free (54.20), 5^th in the 200 free (1:58.57) and 9^th in the 50 free (25.07) in individual events. She was part of the winning 200 free relay (1:37.08).

Hanzl, a freshman, placed 7^th in the 50 free (24.92), 8^th in the 100 free (54.22) and 12^th in the 100 butterfly (1:02.52) in individual events. She was part of the winning 200 free relay (1:37.08) which qualified for nationals.

Also providing quality places and scoring for the Eagles were Breehan Heebner (So. Reading), Jessica DiLoreto (Sr. Erie/McDowell), Jessica Kretz (Fr. Eighty-Four/Canon McMillan), Liz Crigler (So. Pgh./Sacred Heart), Sarah Besecker (So. Chambersburg), Lauren Kalata (So. Trumbull, Ct.), Abby Starsinic (Jr. Harrisburg/Central Dauphin), Erin Smith (Jr. Monroeville/Gateway), Jess Ewald (So. Tiffin, Ohio), Stacy Ogden (Fr. Clearfield) and Aimee Weiss (Jr. Latrobe).

Heebner, a sophomore, had three second place individual finishes. She was second in the 200 I.M. (2:10.17), 2^nd in the 400 I.M. (4:37.11) and 2^nd in the 200 butterfly (2:10.29). She was also part of the second place 800 free relay (7:46.12).

DiLoreto, a senior, finished third in the 100 yard breaststroke (1:06.97) and fourth in the 200 breaststroke (2:28.43) in individual events. She was also part of the second place 200 medley (1:47.81) and 400 medley (3:58.37) relays. The 200 medley swam an NCAA qualifying time.

Kretz, a freshman, placed third in the 200 breaststroke (2:27.95), 4^th in the 400 I.M. (4:45.65), and 10^th in the 200 I.M. (2:13.97).

Crigler, a sophomore, placed 4^th in the 200 butterfly (2:10.51) and 5^th in the 100 fly (59.61).

Besecker, a sophomore, earned a 4^th place finish in the grueling 1650 freestyle (17:55.09), 5^th in the 500 free (5:12.13) and 6^th in the 1000 free (10:39.17). She was also part of the second place 800 free relay (7:46.12).

Kalata, a sophomore, was 5^th in the 100 backstroke (1:00.20), 7^th in the 200 back (2:11.24) and 8^th in the 1000 freestyle (10:43.49) in individual events. She was also part of the second place 400 medley relay (3:58.37).

Starsinic, a junior, placed 6^th in the 100 butterfly (1:00.33), 7^th in the 200 fly (2:13.29) and 14^th in the 200 I.M. (2:14.94). She was part of the NCAA Qualifying second place 200 medley relay (1:47.81).

Smith, a junior, earned three individual places. She was 6^th in the 200 yard breaststroke (2:30.71), 9^th in the 200 I.M. (2:13.65) and 13^th in the 100 breaststroke (2:13.65).

Ewald, a sophomore, placed a quality 5^th in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.10).

Ogden, a freshman, was 10^th in the 200 backstroke (2:12.02), 12^th in the 100 back (1:03.91) and 16^th in the 50 free (25.65).

Weiss, a junior, placed 15^th in the 200 breaststroke (2:31.69) and 16^th in the 1000 free (11:06.77).

Clarion posted a quality 2004 dual meet record of 8-4 including a 250-120 dual win over West Chester, two wins over D-I Duquesne (65-46, 178-59), two wins over Allegheny (123-69, 158-80), and wins over Shippensburg (126-79), Kenyon (167-70) and Carnegie Mellon (175-114). Losses came against all D-I schools including Akron twice (80.5 - 32.5, 129-106), Wright State (63-50) and Pitt (194-99). The Golden Eagles have a four year record of 28-8 under VanDyke.

CLARION NOTES: Coach VanDyke also praised the efforts of assistant swimming coach Christina Tillotson Sheets in preparing the Eagle swimmers for the PSAC’s ... Tillotson was a 28-time NCAA All-American at Clarion who won 18 PSAC and 5 NCAA crowns... In school history Clarion has won 8 NCAA titles (1977, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84 & 86)... Clarion will be at the NCAA D-II Nationals on March 10-13 in Buffalo, N.Y..... Last year Clarion finished 10^th at the NCAA’s ... 2004 marked the eighth year diving was eliminated from the PSAC Championship... Diving remains an integral part of the NCAA Championship.