Penn State Sweeps Big Ten Weekly Honors

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

A Penn State trio team swept the Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving weekly honors with senior captain Ally McHugh claiming the Swimmer of the Week, junior diver Christina Crowell earning Diver of the Week, and freshman swimmer Madison Murtagh receiving Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon.

McHugh led both Penn State and the Big Ten in the 500 and 1000 freestyles for the week. She led the winning Nittany Lion trio in a sweep of the 1000 free over No. 7 Virginia, taking first place with a time of 9:52.54. McHugh led a second Penn State trio in the 500 free where she took second with a time of 4:51.23. With a time of 2:02.28 the senior captain claimed third in the 200 butterfly.

Murtagh earned a pair of top three finishes against UVA in her collegiate debut in both the 100 and 500 free completing both swims with times of 10:06.67 and 4:55.33, respectively.

Crowell neared zone scores during the meet with two top-three finishes. She took second in the 1-meter by earing 261.45 points and third in the 3-meter with 266.03 points.

These are all first-time Big Ten Honors for McHugh, Murtagh, and Crowell. Crowell is the first diver to take home the honor since senior Mackenzie Cornell won it in 2017. Murtagh is the first Penn State freshman to take home the honor since current junior Jane Donahue earned it in 2017. Maddie Hart was the last Nittany Lion to claim the swimmer of the week honor back in February.

For the men, Penn State sophomore Nathan Schiffmann claiming the Swimmer of the Week, senior diver Hector Garcia Boissier earning Diver of the Week, and freshman swimmer Michael Daly receiving Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon.

Schiffmann led the conference in the 500 free and 200 free for the week. Swimming at No. 23 Virginia, Schiffmann was just 0.15 seconds off the winning pace in the 500 free (4:31.15), and less than a second off the winning pace in the 200 free (1:40.21). It’s his first career swimmer of the week honor and the first claimed by a Nittany Lion since Kaelan Freund did so last season.

Garcia Boissier competed in the 1-meter dive at UVA and won it with a score of 335.03, qualifying for NCAA Zones. He earned diver of the week for the third time in his career and for the first time since winning it twice during the 2016-17 season.

Daly impressed in his collegiate debut, as he Led Penn State and the Big Ten in the 1000 Free (9:27.10) and 200 back (1:49.10) for the week. He also placed second in the 200 IM (1:52.68) against Virginia for his third top-three finish of the meet. Daly is Penn State’s first freshman of the week since Freund claimed the honor two seasons ago.

Next for the Nittany Lions, George Washington visits McCoy Natatorium Friday, Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. for Penn State’s first of two home meets in the 2018-19 season.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Penn State. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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