Titans Takes Second at PACs Swimming & Diving

February 20, 2010GROVE CITY, Pa. - The Westminster College men's and women's swimming and diving teams each placed second in the 2010 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships after the Titans won a combined five events on Friday in the last of three days of competition as part of the 20th annual Grove City College Invitational. For the entire three-day meet, Westminster won a combined 16 events.


The Grove City men's team won with 963.5 points, followed by Westminster with 734.5, Washington & Jefferson with 526.5 and Bethany with 102. Saint Vincent posted 207 points but was not eligible because of its NCAA Division III provisional status.


The Grove City women's team won with 862.5 points, with Westminster taking second with 674.5, W&J with 661, Chatham with 326 and Bethany with 97. Saint Vincent compiled 305.5 points.


Leading the Titan men, senior Ben Gutmann (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in the 200-yard breaststroke by winning the event in a school, conference, and pool record time of 2:03.47. His time was five seconds faster than the second-place finisher and nearly two seconds faster than the previous school record held by Chris Lehberger, who won the event for four straight years from 2006-09.


Junior Devin Gannon (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) won his first-ever PAC title by taking the 200 backstroke with an NCAA provisional "B cut" qualifying time of 1:54.59.


Freshman Alan Nedley (White, Pa./Connellsville) won his first PAC title by capturing the 200 butterfly with a NCAA "B cut" time of 1:54.30.


On the women's side, senior Emily Dressler (Hummelstown, Pa./Mount Calvary Christian) won the 1650 freestyle with an NCAA "B cut" time of 17:35.19. The win marked Dressler's seventh individual PAC title and the third this year.


Sophomore Caitlin Lehberger (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington) successfully defended her PAC title in the 200 breaststroke with an NCAA "B cut" time of 2:21.90.


Westminster's 400 freestyle relay team placed second with an NCAA "B cut" time of 3:33.93.