PSAC Championship meet page  |  ESU 2017-18 PSAC Qualifiers

EAST STROUDSBURG – For 11 East Stroudsburg University swimmers, a year's worth of preparation leads up to this week, as the 2018 PSAC Swimming & Diving Championships get underway in York, Pa., on Wednesday morning.

Preliminary sessions will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday through Saturday mornings, with the top 24 qualifiers in each event earning a chance to compete in 'A', 'B' and 'C' finals in the evening.

The Warriors had eight individuals combine to score 20 times on their way to a ninth-place team finish a year ago, and seven of those swimmers return to the conference meet this winter.

Senior Annie Fagan posted the top performances in 2017, as she broke a pair of school records in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events on her way to finishing fourth and seventh, respectively. Her fourth place finish in the 50 free was ESU's highest since 2009, and her time of 23.87 was under the NCAA DII 'B' standard of 24.05. Fagan also placed 18th in the 100 butterfly, and she is back to compete in all three events this season.

"Annie has devoted herself to her training even more this year," head coach Brie Globig said. "She's been consistently faster in the dual meets in all three events, and I think we can expect amazing things from her. She'd love to go to nationals, and it's a definite possibility."

Junior Briana Hall has been neck-and-neck with Fagan in the same three events this year, providing a big spark to the Warriors in her first year competing for the program. Hall enters PSAC's ranked 10th in the 50 free (24.42), 14th in the 100 free (53.43) and 17th in the 100 fly (58.66), and she has similar goals heading into this week's conference meet.

"Bri and Annie really bring out the best in each other," Globig said. "They push themselves in every practice. Bri is really excited for the 100 fly, even more so than the freestyle events. She's a strong competitor and I think she still has more to give."

Four other seniors in Kate Zimmerman, Allison Cardow, Colleen Dwyer and Shirley Samson join Fagan at the final PSAC meet of their collegiate careers. All have scored in previous years, and all will be looking to post PR's in their respective events.

Zimmerman has scored 10 times as a Warrior, with a top finish of eighth in the 100 breaststroke as a sophomore. She reached three 'B' finals in 2017, including a 10th place showing in the 100 breast, and is set to compete individually in the 100/200 breast and 200/400 IM races this week.

"Kate has been so much fun to coach this year," Globig remarked. "She's just excited for one last go around. She's maintained fast times all year long, and she's going to push herself as hard as she can in every event."

Cardow lowered her own ESU record in the 200 fly at the TCNJ Invitational in December, and that time of 2:11.30 is ranked 12th in the conference heading into the championships. Cardow reached 'C' finals in the 100 and 200 fly, the 200 backstroke and the 200 IM last February, and she has placed as high as 14th in the 200 fly at PSAC's.

"Allison again this year has found a way to get even faster," Globig said. "All of her dual meet times are faster than they were last year. Just like all the seniors, she's excited for a final chance to see what she can do."

Dwyer stepped up in the 100 back last winter, qualifying for the 'B' final and ultimately finishing 15th overall. She has PSAC times in both back events and the 50 free this year. With an injury-free season for the first time at ESU, Globig believes she has top-eight potential if things break her way. Samson, meanwhile, returns to PSAC's after qualifying in the 100 breast back in December. She will also compete in the 200 breast, where she placed 20th a year ago, and the 200 IM.

Sophomores Olivia Lukshides and Tarah Killane each made their mark in the freestyle events in their debut seasons, combining to score six times for the Warriors in 2017. Both will be looking for more of the same this winter, with Lukshides set to compete in four events after adding the 500 free to her repertoire. Her top finish at PSAC's last year was a 14th place showing in the 100 free.

"This was a new year of training for Olivia," Globig said. "We decided to focus a bit more on the 500 and 200 free, though she still managed to do great in her sprint events as well. She has the potential to drop immense amounts of time. Taper-wise right now she looks amazing."

Killane managed to score in all three distance free events, including a high of 15th place in the 1,650 free, despite dealing with an illness throughout last year's conference meet. After missing the TCNJ fall taper meet due to another illness, she will be looking to break through in a big way this week. Killane is currently ranked No. 2 in program history in both the 500 and 1,650 free, and Globig believes she has school-record potential in all three of her races at PSAC's.

Three freshmen also earned a spot at PSAC's in their debut seasons. Taylor Howery qualified in the 100 back, Julia Harnish advanced in the 100 and 200 breast and Samantha Christman reached the PSAC standard in the 1,650 free at last weekend's NYU Invitational. According to Globig, all three have the potential for personal-bests and a chance to sneak into the top 24 in their events.

The championship's five relay races are always among the most exciting parts of the weekend, and ESU placed in the top eight in four of those five competitions a year ago, led by a sixth-place showing by Dwyer, Zimmerman, Cardow and Fagan in the 200 medley relay. That result was ESU's best in a relay since 2004. With Hall added into the mix along with those four, Globig has high hopes for this year's group races.

"Most of our relays are sitting in seventh or eighth place in the conference right now," she said. "And those times are at a half-taper, not at full rest. If everything comes together, I wouldn't be surprised with fifth or higher in some of those relays."

As a team, the Warriors have placed ninth at PSAC's in each of the last five seasons. Bettering that finish for the first time since the 2001-02 squad placed sixth is the goal going into the week.

"We're hoping for eighth this season," Globig said. "That's our goal, and I think that's where we're seeded right now. Anything can happen. Every school in the conference has great swimmers; it will just really depend on who steps up individually."