The Shippensburg University women's swimming team received eight more individual scoring performances on Saturday at the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Swimming Championships, finishing in eighth place in the team standings after competition wrapped at the Graham Aquatic Center.
 
Shippensburg had all four of its swimmers in the 200-yard backstroke contribute to the team score, with junior Marissa Bittner leading the way on a seventh-place time of 2:08.75. Bittner's morning prelim of 2:06.33 was an improvement to her personal best and moved her up one spot into fifth place in school history for the event.
 
Fellow junior Michaela Hersh won the consolation 'B' final of the event with a ninth-place time of 2:06.51, an incredible PR that flew her from 10th place into sixth place in school history for the event, right behind Bittner. Hersh improved from her morning seed time by nearly three full seconds and achieved a two-second PR with her outstanding evening swim.
 
Freshman Lana Brown scored points with a 16th-place finish, swimming 2:10.77 at night after delivering a time of 2:10.18 in the morning that was just two-tenths of a second off her personal best. It was the ending to a solid day for Brown, who earlier had completed a time trial of 59.37 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke that got her under 60 seconds in the event for the first time in her career.
 
Fellow freshman Grace Reagan fashioned another PR at this year's championships on Saturday with her morning prelim of 2:12.21 – she was only one-tenth of a second slower at night and her pre-consolation 'C' finals time of 2:12.35 resulted in a 22nd-place finish.
 
Junior Alyssa Tomb reached the championship 'A' finals of the 200-yard breaststroke and finished eighth overall in 2:26.91. Tomb's morning prelim time of 2:23.42 got her into the championship finals, and marks yet another PR for her at this year's meet. It moves her to sixth all-time in school history for the event.
 
Sophomore Emily Newton scored in the pre-consolation finals of the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:31.48. Her morning prelim of 2:30.37 is just a tenth of a second off her PR.
 
Sophomore Allie Keeling notched a Top 10 finish in the "mile," completing the 1,650-yard freestyle in 17:59.01. Senior Marina Cote (Papillion, Neb./Daniel J. Gross) scored in the event with a time of 18:43.02, which resulted in 20th place.
 
The meet concluded with sophomore Gracie Wetzel, Keeling, junior Sammy Taylor and Tomb completing the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:39.54.
 
1650 Free
10. Allie Keeling 17:59.01
20. Marina Cote 18:43.02
Gwen Elsey 19:34.15
 
100 Free
Gracie Wetzel 55.09
Sammy Taylor 55.14
Kristin Gebhard 57.62
 
200 Back
7. Marissa Bittner 2:08.75 (2:06.33p)
9. Michaela Hersh 2:06.51 (2:09.27p)
16. Lana Brown 2:10.77 (2:10.18p)
22. Grace Reagan 2:12.35 (2:12.21p)
 
200 Breast
8. Alyssa Tomb 2:26.91 (2:23.42p)
22. Emily Newton 2:31.48 (2:30.37p)
Rachel Johnston 2:38.28
Lexington Wagner 2:39.96
 
400 Free Relay
10. Gracie Wetzel, Allie Keeling, Sammy Taylor, Alyssa Tomb 3:39.54
 
Time Trial: 100 Back
Lana Brown 59.37