CANTON, Ohio – After the third and final day of the Malone Invitational on Saturday at the Branin Natatorium, the Penn State Altoona women's swimming team settled into 12th place out of 16 teams.

The Lions scored 96 points in Saturday evening's finals sessions, ending the three-day event with 295 points to rank 12th among all teams. Division II Gannon University won the invitational with a team total of 1,640 points, Oberlin College was the runner-up with 895, and Baldwin Wallace University placed third with 745.

Four Lions competed in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle to begin Saturday's finals. Sarah Petry (St. Benedict, PA/Cambria Heights) was her team's top finisher in that swim, coming in 11th place with a time of 19:30.35. Alexis Buchala (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua) and Anna Heller (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon) finished in back-to-back places, with Buchala taking 19th with a time of 19:55.05 and Heller placing 20th after clocking in at 20:04.67. Claire Smith (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley) also placed in the event, coming in 30th with a time of 20:57.16.

In the next event, the 200 Yard Backstroke, McKenna Holl (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) and Julia Daley (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy) competed in the 'C' final. Holl was 22nd with a time of 2:23.92, and Daley earned 23rd after finishing in 2:24.07.

In the 100 Yard Freestyle, Madison Coleman (Altoona, PA/Tyrone) qualified for the 'B' final and placed 15th with a time of 56.64. Additionally, Emma Fraundorfer (Altoona, PA/Altoona) swam in the 'C' final and took 24th place after finishing in 58.27.

Hailey Toth (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua) and Ayva Harris (Monroeville, PA/Gateway) both swam in the 'C' final for the 200 Yard Breaststroke. Toth placed 19th after clocking in at 2:44.76, and Harris was right behind at 20th place with a time of 2:44.78.

The Lions wrapped up the meet by finishing in ninth during the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, in which the team of Coleman, Petry, Daley, and Fraundorfer combined for a time of 3:51.99.

Next up, Penn State Altoona women's swimming will face its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference competition of the season on Saturday, December 7, when the Lions will travel to Erie to go up against Penn State Behrend in a dual meet starting at 1 p.m.