Last weekend, Rowan women’s swim competed in the NCAA Division III Championships and placed 35th in a tournament that contained over 40 teams from all across the country. The Profs finished with nine total points, many of which came from standout swimmer Ella Pennington.

The sophomore added to her resume by breaking her own school record in the 200 back, finishing with a time of 2:01.11. Her performance earned her a second straight All-American honor.

“It just feels really awesome to be able to represent the program that I am a part of and represent Rowan,” Pennington said.

Pennington also placed 14th in the preliminary with a time of 2:01.33, which booked her spot in the finals.

Competing in the NCAA Division III Championship is something that athletes dream of. The tournament provides both the athlete and their school with the opportunity to showcase their hard work and skills on the national stage.

“It feels awesome because I know we have a lot to offer. Not only as a swim program but as a program in general,” Pennington said. “To be able to represent that is really a great honor and something I am really proud to be a part of.”

To provide some context on the team’s growth, they scored four times the amount of points they scored during 2023’s Division III Championship. Many of the Profs’ key players still have two-plus years of eligibility and because of that Pennington is confident in Rowan’s ability to continue making its way towards the top of the mountain.

“You know, I think it really comes down to working together as a team and working with our coaches,” Pennington said.”Because we have all of the tools to do it, and I know we have the skills and the passion for it.”

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