LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Jan. 11) – After winning a pair of events at the Citrus Classic, California University of Pennsylvania junior Melissa Gates (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) was selected the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women’s Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday afternoon, announced the league office.
Competing against talent from all over the country, Gates won the 100 breaststroke and was a member of the winning 200 medley relay last Friday in Arizona. She captured the individual victory in the 100 breaststroke after touching the wall with a NCAA B-time of 1 minute, 6.73 seconds. In the 100 freestyle, the 5-9 junior finished behind only a swimmer from the University of Nebraska with a NCAA B-time of 52.28 seconds.
As the second leg of the 200 medley relay, Gates helped the Vulcans win the event by seven-hundredths of a second at 1:49.83 in a field that featured NCAA Division I teams Nebraska and Siena (N.Y.).
This marks the third time this season and fourth time in her career that she has received the weekly honor from the PSAC.
Gates and the Vulcans are idle this weekend before returning to action with a dual meet on Jan. 22 at Duquesne.