YORK, Pa. – Eight Lock Haven University Women’s Swimming team members recently competed in the 2023 PSAC Swimming Championships on Feb. 15-18, held at the Graham Aquatic Center in York, PA. This event marks the end of the 2022-2023 competitive season for women’s swimming and the final collegiate swimming competition for the senior Bald Eagle ladies’ swimmers.
The eight student-athletes that represented Lock Haven in the relay events were Lily Arledge, KaceyMarie Bernadinelli, Makenzie Eades, Madison Griffin, Espefani Santos-Soto, Lauren Mummert, Emma Pequignot, and Sydney Houck. These athletes represented Lock Haven in the 200, 400, and 800-yard freestyle relays as well as the 200 and 400-yard medley relays.
“The energy at the meet was electric, and everyone was determined to do well,” said Houck.
In addition to the relay qualifications, three Haven swimmers also qualified in individual events. Mummert qualified in the 200-yard IM, 400-yard IM, 200-yard backstroke, and 200-yard butterfly. She is a graduating senior, who has qualified for the PSAC Swimming Championships during all four years at LHU.
Two sophomores were able to qualify for the first time. Pequignot qualified for the 200-yard IM, 400-yard IM, 100-yard butterfly, and 200-yard butterfly. Houck qualified in the 200-yard IM, 400-yard IM, 100-yard breaststroke, and 200-yard breaststroke.
Head Coach Jerry Hammaker stated that he is proud of his team for their performance at the four-day event, due to the length and intensity of the event’s atmosphere. Hammaker described that the event was “almost like a marathon.” When discussing the performance of his team, Hammaker stated that his athletes performed well both in and out of the water.
“They did well, we had some nice time drops, and we had some good places,” Hammaker stated. “I think the idea is that in the future we look for more of that”
Hammaker considers the performance highlight of the Lady Eagles’ experience at the PSAC Swimming Championships to be Pequignot’s individual event, the 200-yard Butterfly. “She had the highest place on the team in any event,” Hammaker said.
Pequignot considered her teammates to have a bigger impact on her races. The support of her teammates helped her maintain confidence throughout the event. Pequignot stated she “loved all the support they gave.”
(Photo: Lock Haven Athletics/Chris Valdez)
What fellow individual qualifier Houck enjoyed the most at the PSAC Swimming Championships was “watching everyone’s hard work pay off.” Houck stated that she and her teammates had “worked very hard all season, and we were ready to represent Lock Haven.” If anything can be said about the PSAC Swimming Championships, it’s that the Bald Eagle ladies’ swimmers had each other’s backs. Coach Hammaker commended his senior athletes for their efforts throughout the season.
“They dedicated themselves for the four years they were here,” Hammaker said. “They need to be commended on sticking it out and holding the team together.”
The graduating swimmers will be remembered fondly by their teammates. Pequignot stated that “being able to swim with them made everything so much more enjoyable.” The Haven’s ladies’ swimmers, due to their team efforts, had an all-around successful end to their 2022-2023 season.
(Photo: Lock Haven Athletics)
Cleia Stern
Cleia Stern is a first-year pursuing an undergraduate in Exploratory Studies. She is a staff writer for the Eagle Eye. Cleia holds the 2022 GOODE Waterski National Overall Champion title, as well as multiple regional and state titles. Cleia’s passions include water-skiing, tennis, and weightlifting. Aside from her athletic achievements, Cleia hopes to pursue writing into the professional setting with dreams of publishing a collection of poems.
