Women’s Swimming & Diving

                                                       WOLF & HROVAT EARN NCAA D-II HONORS
                                                   CLARION PLACES 10TH AT NCAA D-II NATIONALS
        Clarion sophomore diver Jamie Wolf (South Park) and diving coach Dave Hrovat earned national recognition and the Golden Eagles placed 10th in the nation at the recently completed NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Nationals.
        Held at the YMCA Aquatic Center in Orlando, Florida March 9-12, Clarion finished in tenth place as a team scoring 149 points. Truman State won the team title with 579.5 points, while Drury was second with 530 and UC San Diego was third with 406.
        Clarion sophomore diver Jamie Wolf stole the show in winning both the one and three meter diving events. She captured the one meter title with 404.10 points, then won the three meter event with 451.25 points. In winning both titles she was named the NCAA Division II Female “Diver of the Year”. It is the second straight year that Wolf has won both titles at nationals, as well as “Diver of the Year” honors. Last year she won one meter with 382 points and three meter with 421.70 points.
        A Biology major at Clarion, she is a PSAC and Clarion “Scholar Athlete” and is carrying a 4.0 QPA and is also a pre-med major. She is in the honors program at Clarion and is the daughter of Patrick and Patricia Wolf of South Park. She is a 2003 grad of South Park High School.
        Hrovat, in his 15th year at Clarion, was named the NCAA D-II Women’s “Diving Coach of the Year”. He had four different women’s divers earn All-America placings at nationals.
        Hrovat has now been named NCAA Diving “Coach of the Year” 14-times in his Clarion coaching career. He has earned the women’s honor in 2005, 04, 02, 01, 2000, 1995 and 1993. He has also won the men’s national award in 2003, 02, 1998, 97, 96, 92 and 91. Dave’s overall divers have won 25 NCAA titles and 154 All-America placings in 15 years.
        A native of Mentor, Ohio, Dave moved to Bridgeville, Pa. and attended Chartiers Valley High from his sophomore year on. As a senior he won the WPIAL and PIAA diving titles. Hrovat attended Clemson and was ACC “Diver of the Year” in 1988 as 1 and 3 meter champion. He coached at Virginia Tech for two years (1989 & 90) before coming to Clarion.
Dave and wife Kim reside in Knox. Dave has a daughter Callen and a son Brandon.
        Also earning All-America performances in the pool for the Golden Eagles at the 2005 nationals were Lori Leitzinger (Fr. State College), Sarah Besecker (Jr. Chambersburg), Brehan Heebner (Jr. Reading), Erin Smith (Sr. Monroeville - Gateway), Kristy Clarke (So. Campbell Hall, N.Y.), Brittany Hanzl (So. Allentown) and Stacy Ogden (So. Clearfield).
        Leitzinger, a freshman, was a three-time All-American at nationals. She placed 13th in the 100 backstroke (59.07) and 12th in the 200 backstroke (2:06.23), while also helping the 200 medley relay team place 11th (1:49.23).
        Besecker, a junior, also was a three time A-A at nationals. She was 14th in the 200 I.M. (2:09.67) and 15th in the 500 freestyle (5:08.42), while also helping the 400 free relay to an 11th place ending (3:32.79). She is now an 8-time career All-American.
        Heebner, also a junior, earned three A-A placings at nationals. Brehan finished 12th in the 200 fly (2:08.66), 14th in the 200 I.M. (2:09.67) and was on the 11th place 200 medley relay ream (1:49.23). She is now a 7-time career All-American.
Smith, a junior, earned three A-A placings in three relay events. She was part of the 9th place 200 free relay (1:36.95), plus was on the 11th place 200 medley (1:49.23) and the 11th place 400 free relay (3:32.79). A senior and captain, she finishes her career as a three-time All-American.
        Clarke, a sophomore, also earned three A-A relay placings at nationals. Like Smith she was part of the 9th place 200 free relay (1:36.95), plus was on the 11th place 200 medley (1:49.23) and the 11th place 400 free relay (3:32.79). A 2-time All-American as a freshman, she currently owns five career A-A placings.
        Hanzl, a sophomore, earned two A-A placings as part of the 9th place 200 free relay and the 11th place 400 free relay. They were her first two A-A honors in her career.
        Ogden, a sophomore, earned A-A honors helping the 200 free relay team to a 9th place finish.
        Earning All-America honors in diving were Teagan Riggs (So. Meadville), Erin Cooper (Sr. Dallas) and Ginny Saras (Fr. Sugarloaf - Hazleton).
        Riggs, a sophomore, placed seventh in the one meter diving event scoring 343.25 points in her first trip to nationals.
        Cooper, a senior and team captain, earned a 10th place A-A placing on three meter by scoring 349.30 points. Erin finished her career as a three-time All-American.
        Saras, a freshman, earned two A-A placings. She finished 13th on three meter with 337.25 points, plus placed 14th on one meter with 303.20 points.
CLARION NOTES: The women’s team had an 8-4 dual meet record this season, placed second at PSAC’s and 10th at the D-II Nationals... Coach VanDyke has a 5-year dual meet record of 36-12... In 2004 Clarion won the PSAC Championship and placed 5th at nationals... the PSAC title in 2004 was Clarion’s 25th team title since the PSAC Championship began in 1976... Clarion also has 8 D-II Titles in its history including 1977, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84 & 86.