December 6, 2002

Grove City women 2nd after first day of Longnecker Invitational

GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Junior Peggy Whitbeck (Saegertown, Pa./Saegertown) and freshman Ellen Magee (Cincinnati, Ohio/Homeschooled) both earned individual victories as the Grove City College women's swimming and diving team earned 157 team points Friday night in the first night of competition at the sixth annual James E. Longnecker Invitational at the College Pool.

Currently, Grove City trails just Carnegie Mellon, which has 197.5 points, in the 10-team field.

Whitbeck, the defending national champion in the 200 butterfly, established a new College Pool and Longnecker Invitational record in that event with a 2:03.76 clocking. Whitbeck set the old pool and event record, 2:05.29, Dec. 2, 2000.

Meanwhile, Magee captured the top spot in the 100 freestyle, posting a time of 54.86 seconds. Magee also finished sixth in the 200 butterfly. 

Also for Grove City, Christine Bare (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) finished third in the 1650 freestyle and Jacquie Adlam (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) finished fifth in the 200 breaststroke.

The Grove City quartet of Bare, Magee, Whitbeck and BrieAnn Artz (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) finished second in the 400 free relay, posting a time of 3:45.18.

Team Scores
1-Carnegie Mellon        197.5
2-Grove City                157
3-W. Va. Wesleyan     151
4-Wash. and Jeff.        136
5-Gannon                   128
6-California Univ. of Pa. 89
7-Frostburg State         70.5
8-Mount Union             65
9-Fairmont State          47
10-Buffalo State           35

Action resumes Saturday at 11 a.m.