KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University swimming team will put its 11-match winning streak on the line when it faces California, Pa. and Lock Haven in a dual match Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. Lock Haven will host the meet.
Kutztown enters this meet coming off of a solid 120-79 victory over the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Monday afternoon. The Golden Bears (12-1 overall) are ranked 20th in the latest CSCAA/CollegeSwimming.com Top 25 poll.
"We've been swimming well," Kutztown coach
Tim Flannery said. "We haven't backed off in our training. The team has been swimming hard and posting some good times. To get through this meet and have some success, we have to race. The girls like racing and they have a lot of fun."
Although senior
Steph Jeppesen (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) has continued to rewrite record books and establish herself as one of the nation's premiere swimmers, others have risen to the occasion lately according to Flannery. He has been excited with the improvement of
Stephanie Kearns (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East),
Heather Wolkom (Rumson, N.J./Rumson Fair-Haven Regional ),
Nikki Hinsdale (Glen Mills, Pa./Bayard Rustin),
Lauren Malloy (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Catholic),
Lauren Galetto (Vineland, N.J./Sacred Heart) and
Krista Schlupp (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown).
"Kearns has improved drastically," Flannery said. "Wolkom swam faster in the 1,650 at Alaska then she did at the Franklin & Marshall meet, which is a really good sign. Hinsdale is beginning to progress. I am pretty happy overall with how things are going so far for us as a team. Everybody knows we're going to have to step it up tomorrow."
California (3-6) features three of the top swimmers in the PSAC in Ester Bosch, Georgia Emert and Melissa Gates. The Golden Bears will be swimming against Lock Haven (4-4) for the second time this season. Kutztown defeated Lock Haven, 181-64, on November 14.
The Lady Eagles are led by four-time All-American Amanda Terray. The junior has already hit NCAA "B" cut times in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Freshman Britt Rehrig has also hit a NCAA "B" cut time in the 100 breaststroke.
"It's going to be a tough meet, because there are a lot of variables," Flannery said. "Overall, I think this will be a fun meet and I know my team is looking forward to the challenge. We're going to have to swim really hard to beat California and Lock Haven."
The Golden Bears will host Millersville next Saturday afternoon at Keystone Pool.
