INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Penn State sophomore Ally McHugh and seniors Casey Francis and Katelyn Sowinski have been invited to the 2017 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, the NCAA announced Wednesday afternoon. The meet will be co-hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis and Indiana Sports Corp at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 15-18.
McHugh will swim in the NCAA championships for the first time in her career, while Sowinski will be making her fourth appearance and Francis her third.
McHugh leads the trio with invitations in three different events, highlighted by the 400 IM in which she ranks 14th on the psych sheet with a seed time of 4:06.27. She also ranks 26th in the 1,650 freestyle (16:07.69) and 39th in the 500 free (4:41.70). All three of her qualifying times were set at the Big Ten championships, at which she was named to the All-Big Ten second team after earning a silver in the 400 IM with a school-record performance. McHugh also holds B cuts in the 200 free and 100 backstroke.
Francis earned an invitation in the 1,650 free with a seeding of 30th in 16:10.35. She is also eligible for the 500 free and 400 IM. She has swam in all three events the past two NCAA championships, earning a career-best finish of 25th in the mile (16:13.52) in 2016. She also owns the Penn State school record in the event (16:05.37).
Sowinski will represent the Nittany Lions in the 200 butterfly with a seeding of 23rd (1:55.97), and she is also eligible for the 500 free. She has competed in both events in each of her previous three seasons, and she is the school record holder in the 500 free (4:40.72).