Women’s Swimming Drops Home Opener to Behrend
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's swimming team began its 2025-26 campaign with a home dual meet on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions suffered a 187.5-68.5 loss to Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Penn State Behrend in the Adler Natatorium.
Penn State Altoona opened the meet with a second-place finish in the 400 Yard Medley Relay, in which the team of Téah Sponsler (Halifax, PA/Halifax), Victoria Oldford (Bucks County, PA/Palisades), Drew Porter (Centreville, VA/Centreville), and Claire Smith (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley) posted a time of 4:25.25 to take the runner-up spot.
Anna Heller (Chesapeake, VA/Huntingdon) and Ashley Moretz (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) finished second and third, respectively, in the 1000 Yard Freestyle swim with times of 12:10.62 and 12:28.97. In the 200 Yard Freestyle, the Lions earned another second-place finish when Smith took second with a time of 2:09.59.
Penn State Altoona grabbed consecutive places in the 100 Yard Backstroke, in which Porter placed second with a time of 1:06.28 and Sponsler came in third with 1:09.90. Oldford was the runner-up in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, clocking in at 1:13.31.
Alexis Buchala (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua) was the Lions' lone competitor in the 200 Yard Butterfly, where she got third place with a time of 2:44.48. In the next event, the 50 Yard Freestyle, Heller was Penn State Altoona's top finisher after she earned third place with a time of 28.69. The 100 Yard Freestyle swim followed that, and Porter was the second-place finisher after hitting the pad at 1:01.49.
Sponsler secured third place in the 200 Yard Backstroke, finishing with a time of 2:40.07, and Oldford earned a second-place finish in the 200 Yard Breaststroke after clocking in with a time of 2:42.56.
Buchala was the third-place finisher in the 500 Yard Freestyle, after concluding her race at the 5:56.76 mark. Porter had a third place in the next event, the 100 Yard Butterfly, with a time of 1:10.07. Oldford picked up another second place in the 200 Yard IM, during which she finished in 2:29.96.
The Lions ended the meet by taking third place in the 400 Yard Freestyle, as Buchala, Heller, Paige Goray (Erie, PA/Harborcreek), and Smith combined for a time of 4:10.67.
Penn State Altoona women's swimming is back in action next Saturday, November 1 with another home meet, facing non-conference opponent McDaniel College at 1 p.m.
