ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's swimming team held its final home date of the 2025-26 season on Saturday afternoon in the Adler Natatorium, hosting non-conference opponents Elizabethtown College and Juniata College for a tri-meet.

Prior to the start of the meet, the Lions held Senior Day festivities and recognized senior swimmers Isabella Rhoades (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) and Téah Sponsler (Halifax, PA/Halifax). After that, Penn State Altoona ended its day with a win and a loss, prevailing 128-115 over Elizabethtown and losing 167-87 to Juniata.

The Lions recorded three first place finishes in the meet, with Victoria Oldford (Bucks County, PA/Palisades) accounting for two of them and Anna Heller (Chesapeake, VA/Huntingdon) achieving the other.

Oldford took first place in the 100 Yard Breaststroke after finishing in 1:11.68, and her second individual win of the day came with a time of 2:40.15 in the 200 Yard Breaststroke. Heller's victory came in the 1000 Yard Freestyle, during which she clocked in with a time of 11:51.59.

Penn State Altoona opened the meet in the 200 Yard Medley Relay, where Paige Goray (Erie, PA/Harbor Creek), Oldford, Drew Porter (Centreville, VA/Centreville), and Claire Smith (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley) led the way for the Lions with a third-place finish and a total time of 2:01.42. Sponsler, Rhoades, Alexis Buchala (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua), and Sophia Cowher (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) came together for a time of 2:17.82 for sixth place.

Following Heller's win in the 1000 Yard Freestyle, Smith was the top finisher in the next swim, the 200 Yard Freestyle, after she recorded a time of 2:09.51 to take fourth place. Cowher was ninth in that event after coming in at 2:32.70.

Goray nabbed fourth place in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 1:09.79, with Sponsler finishing next at fifth place after concluding her swim in 1:13.17.

One event later, Buchala was the runner-up in the 200 Yard Butterfly race, clocking in at 2:38.29. Oldford followed that with a second place of her own, leading the Lion swimmers in the 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 27.08. Heller was fourth in the 50 Yard Freestyle after finishing in 28.21, and Julia Daley (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) was 10th at 29.52.

In the next event, the 100 Yard Freestyle, Smith was Penn State Altoona's top placer, coming in at 1:00.14 to clinch third place, followed by Buchala at 1:03.89 for seventh place and Cowher at 1:10.91 for 11th place.

Porter got a second-place finish in the next swim, the 200 Yard Backstroke, after posting a time of 2:20.93, while Daley came in at 2:39.44 to take sixth.

Later, Heller placed third to lead the Lions in the 500 Yard Freestyle after finishing in 5:50.08, while Ashley Moretz (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) came in sixth with a time of 6:10.21. Sponsler had a third-place finish in the 100 Yard Butterfly with a time of 1:14.87, and Daley took fourth place in that swim after hitting the pad at 1:15.39.

Porter had her team's best performance in the next event, the 400 Yard IM, when she clocked in at 5:12.03 for a third-place finish. Buchala nabbed fourth place in that swim with a time of 5:19.37, and Rhoades was sixth after finishing in 6:06.26.

Penn State Altoona wrapped up its day in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, with the group of Smith, Heller, Goray, and Porter leading the Lions in that event with a third-place finish and a combined time of 1:53.20. Meanwhile, Cowher, Daley, Moretz, and Sponsler had a group time of 2:02.15 to come in fifth place.

Penn State Altoona women's swimming concludes its regular season on the road next Saturday, January 31, traveling north to take on conference opponent Pitt-Bradford in a dual meet. The start time for that meet is set for 1 p.m.