ALTOONA, Pa. — Five different Penn State Altoona women’s swimmers combined to achieve All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference recognition in 10 different events, as the league announced its postseason awards on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Penn State Altoona got All-AMCC nods in six different individual swims, as well as four different relay events. The Lions’ total of 10 All-Conference awards represents the most ever garnered in a season by the women’s swimming team.

Individually, Grace Dangelo of State College led the way for the Lions with three first-team All-AMCC spots. Sarah Petry of St. Benedict took one first-team All-Conference nod, and Avery Heisey of Lancaster and Madison Coleman of Altoona each picked up second-team All-AMCC recognition.

In relay events, Coleman, Dangelo, Heisey, Petry, and Teah Sponsler of Halifax combined for a total of four places on the first and second teams of the All-AMCC squad.

The AMCC’s All-Conference swim teams are based on swimmers’ finishes during the conference championship meet, held Feb. 15-18. First-place finishes earn spots on the first team of the All-AMCC team, while runner-up finishes take second-team recognition.

All three of Dangelo’s individual All-Conference honors came on the first team, as she took AMCC gold in the 200 Yard IM, 400 Yard IM, and 200 Yard Butterfly swims during last week’s conference championships.

Dangelo won the AMCC title in the 200 Yard IM on Feb. 16, when she finished in 2:14.54. On Feb. 17, she placed first in both the AMCC and in the overall combined AMCC-Empire 8 standings in the 400-Yard IM, clocking in at 4:48.17. Dangelo picked up her third first-place finish on Feb. 18, winning the conference title in the 200 Yard Butterfly with a time of 2:17.77.

Petry also earned first-team All-AMCC status by virtue of her conference win in the 200 Yard Freestyle, when she placed first in the swim with a time of 1:58.92 on Friday. That time also set a new Penn State Altoona women’s swimming record in that event.

Penn State Altoona also earned a first-team All-Conference nod in the 800-Yard Freestyle Relay, in which the team of Petry, Coleman, Dangelo, and Heisey combined for a time of 8:09.44 to take first place in the conference during the opening night of the AMCC Championships on Feb. 15. That time set a new women’s swimming team record for that event.

Heisey and Coleman each received second-team All-AMCC honors for their runner-up finishes in individual swims. Heisey took second place in the conference during the 100 Yard Freestyle, finishing with a time of 54.61. Coleman was the runner-up in the 200 Yard Freestyle the night before, clocking in at 1:59.52 to finish just behind Petry’s first-place record time in that event. 

Penn State Altoona also got a trio of second-place finishes in relay events during the conference championships, earning them second-team honors in each. All three times also set new Penn State Altoona women’s swimming records in those events.

In the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay last Thursday, Petry, Dangelo, Heisey, and Coleman came together to post a time of 1:40.47 to finish second in the AMCC. Sponsler, Dangelo, Coleman, and Heisey combined for a time of 1:52.34 to take second place in the 200 Yard Medley Relay last Wednesday. In the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, Petry, Dangelo, Heisey, and Coleman placed second by combining for a time of 3:40.75.

Penn State Altoona women’s swimming ended the AMCC Championships in third place, recording a team-record score of 614.5 points during the four-day meet.