MEN’S SWIMMING
ALTOONA — Sophomore Alex Fisher (Clearfield) has made quite an impact on the Penn State Altoona team after transferring from Gannon, racking up 10 wins in individual events and six victories as a key member of relay units during the two months of the season.
He has been named Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Men’s Performer of the Week on two occasions.
Fisher made an auspicious debut for the Lions in a 142-55 win over Bethany (W.Va.) on October 12, touching first in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.83) and the 200 individual medley (2:06.03) and swimming the breast split for 200 medley relay team that won in 1:35.02.
The following week at the Pitt-Bradford Relays, he locked up the season’s first AMCC Performer of the Week honor with a 50 split (26.64) for the PSU Altoona 300 butterfly team that won in 2:47.45 and the second 100 leg (1:02.46) for the 300 breaststroke foursome that prevailed in 3:09.87.
Fisher won the 200 breast (2:20.85), took second in the 200 freestyle (1:55.26) and turned in a 1:02.20 breast leg for the second-place 400 medley team in the Lions’ 102-102 tie at Pitt-Bradford on November 2.
He was a triplewinner in a 144-60 victory over Gallaudet at Washington, D.C., on November 9, touching the pad first in the 100 breast (102.56) and 200 IM (2:05.95) and contributing a 27.43 split in the 200 medley relay (1:43.27).
At Frostburg (Md.) State on November 16, Fisher won the 100-meter free (58.16) and swam a 25.69 split in the 200 free relay (1:44.56) and added a second in the 50 free (26.14) as the Lions rolled up a 129-66 triumph.
Another three wins were added to his resume on December 6 in a 121.5-69.5 victory over Cabrini at Radnor. He was first in the 100 breast (season-best 1:01.37) and 200 IM (season-best 2:03.63) and had a 26.66 breast split in the 200 medley relay (1:32.68).
Fisher received his second AMCC Performer of the Week recognition after winning the 100 breast (1:01.98) and 200 IM (2:03.80) against Penn State Behrend December 14 when the Lions (4-1-1) suffered their first loss, 124-79.
At Gannon last season, Fisher won five breaststroke races and swam the breast split on the Golden Knight 400 medley relay foursome that registered three wins before setting a school record with a second-place finish at the 2013 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships.
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WOMEN’S SWIMMING
CALIFORNIA, Pa. — Freshman backstroke specialist Krystal Wriglesworth (Clearfield) has been a consistent contributor in her rookie season for California, earning first-place points six times in four events and second-place points in eight other races.
Her first individual victory came in the Vulcans’ 104-95 victory at Millersville on November 2 when she touched first in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:18.23.
A week later at Geneva, Ohio, she posted a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-qualifying time of 1:00.69 in the 100 back that was good for first place against Gannon and Ursuline (Ohio) and second against host Lake Erie (Ohio) in a quad-meet at the SPIRE Institute, which will be the site of the 2014 NCAA Division II Championships.
Wriglesworth etched her name in the California record book with a 27.66-second leadoff leg — the second fastest 50 backstroke time in school history — for the 200 medley relay foursome that was first against Lake Erie and Ursuline and second against Gannon in 1:51.53.
And she picked seconds against Lake Erie and Ursuline with a 2:16.34 effort in the 200 back.
California beat Lake Erie 153-86 and Ursuline 174-36 and lost to Gannon 151-104.
In the season opener October 25, Wriglesworth debuted with a 1:02.69 leg as the Vulcan 400 medley relay team took first against Notre Dame (Ohio) but was nipped by .10 by Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.).
She recorded a 2:21.59 in the 200 back, good for second against Notre Dame and third against Wheeling Jesuit. California split the tri-meet, beating Notre Dame 127-72.5 and losing to Wheeling Jesuit 102-101.
Wriglesworth competed in six events at the three-day Pitt Invitational in late November, qualifying for the consolation finals in two individual races and placing 15th in the 100 back in 1:00.97 and 16th in the 200 back in 2:17.76 against swimmers from six Division I and two Division II teams. Her qualifying times were 57.86 in the 100 and 2:16.87 in the 200.
She just missed the bonus finals in the 50 free, finishing 26th in the prelims with a 25.08 effort.
Wriglesworth swam the backstroke legs in the 200 and 400 medley relays as the Vulcans placed sixth and seventh, respectively. And she had a 56.07 split for California‘s ‘B’ 400 free relay team that was ninth.
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WRESTLING
WILLIAMSPORT — Lycoming sophomore 157-pounder Nolan Barger (Clearfield) won two of his three matches in the 25th annual Budd Whitehill Division III National Duals hosted by the Warriors in Lamade Gym Friday and Saturday.
Barger rolled up a 16-0 technical fall against Noah Feldstein of Case Western Reserve and moved up to 165 and earned a 5-3 decision against Stephen Jarrell of Johnson & Wales (R.I.).
He dropped back down to his regular weight for the Warriors’ final meet and was major decisioned 10-2 by Jamey Simmons of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Lycoming (7-6) fell 18-12 to No. 6 seed and No. 23-ranked Heidelberg (Ohio) in the opening round of the 16-team tourney, rebounded to thump Case Western Reserve 38-3, received a forfeit from Trine University (Ind.), lost 25-14 to No. 5 seed and No. 14-ranked Johnson & Wales and upset No. 7 seed and No. 25-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point 21-14.
Barger is 15-10 with a 5-5 record in dual meets.
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WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State senior Gwenn Porter (Clearfield) and St. Francis freshman Rebecca Johnson (Grampian/Curwensville Area H.S.) ran the mile in the Penn State Relays on the Horace Ashenfelter III Track in the Multi-Sports Building Saturday.
Porter placed eighth with a time of 5:35.25 while Johnson, competing indoors for the first time, finished 11th in 6:27.34.