Puglia Claims 500 Freestyle Championship; Lions in First at AMCC Championships

ROCHESTER, NY – The Penn State Behrend women's swimming and diving team holds the lead after day one of the 2020 Allegheny Empire Championships hosted by Hartwick College at the Webster Aquatic Center on Wednesday night.  

AMCC Women's Scores: 1. Penn State Behrend (136), 2. Alfred State (93), 3. Franciscan (90) 4. Penn State Altoona (85), 5. SUNY Delhi (68) 6. Pitt-Bradford (5)

Combined Women's Scores: 1. Nazareth (398) 2. Hartwick (328) 3. Penn State Behrend (183) 4. Alfred University (176) 5. Penn State Altoona (107) 6. Franciscan (104) 7. Utica (96). 8. Alfred State (94) 9. Suny Delhi (78) 10. . Pitt-Bradford (5)

Noteworthy:

* Sophomore Marcella Puglia (Beaver Falls, PA/Blackhawk) repeats as the 500 freestyle champion with a personal-best time of 5:17.98. Her time also earned her third place in the combined totals
* Sophomore Barbie Cessar (Slippery Rock, PA/Slippery Rock) had a personal-best time of 2:17.54 in the 200 IM to place second overall and sixth in the combined scores
* Trulee Stainbrook (DuBois, PA/DuBois Area) was the top finisher for the Lions in the 50 freestyle
* Stainbrook was fourth in the AMCC (26.94) in her first championship event for Behrend

Top Finishers:

500 Free

1st – Puglia – 5:17.98
3^rd – Lacey Grinnen (Warren, PA/Warren) – 5:33.33
5^th – Olivia Webster (Hopewell, PA/Hopewell) – 5:40.87

200 IM

2^nd – Cessar – 2:17.54
3^rd – Valerie Grimes (Farmington, PA/Uniontown) – 2:24.95

50 Free

4^th – Stainbrook – 26.94
5^th – Lauren Baramore (Ashville, NY/Panama Central) – 27.18

Next Up:

* The Behrend Lions are back in action tomorrow for day two of the AMCC-Empire 8 Championships. Prelims begin at 10 a.m.