Kutztown University Athletics

Elizabeth A. Thoryk-Longenecker ‘99 was a four-year member of the Kutztown University women’s swimming team, competing in the freestyle, butterfly and relays from 1995-99. She is the only athlete in Kutztown University history, in any sport, to be an All-American in each of her four years of competition.  She was an All-American in the 50-yard freestyle in 1996, 1998 and 1999, while adding All-America status in the 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay in 1997 and 1998. She also was an All-American in the 400 freestyle relay in 1998. She was honorable mention All-America for four other events: 100 butterfly (1996, 1998 and 1999), 100 freestyle (1999), 400 freestyle relay (1997) and 800 freestyle relay (1996 and 1998). Thoryk-Longenecker holds school records in six events: the 200 and 400 medley relays, 200 and 400 freestyle relays, the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Thoryk-Longenecker earned All-PSAC honors in each of her four years. She was named one of the Top 30 Athletes of the 20th Century at Kutztown. She graduated from Kutztown in 1999 with a degree in chemistry, and completed her master’s in molecular biology at Lehigh in 2007.  She is a graduate of Norristown High School.  Elizabeth and her husband, Luke, have one son, Gabriel Jacob. She currently is a research biochemist at Merck & Co., Inc.