Dominating the Pool: Damico and Rodier Lead Women’s Swimming to Victory Over Ursinus

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Kara Damico (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley) and Annamarie Rodier (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) achieved four victories on Friday, guiding the Kutztown University women’s swim team to a 158-100 triumph over Ursinus at the Keystone Natatorium.

The Golden Bears returned after a month-long hiatus with wins in 10 out of 14 events. Damico triumphed in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, in addition to participating in victorious 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relay teams.

Rodier clinched three individual event wins (200 free, 500 free, and 100 free) and teamed up with Damico on the 200 free relay squad. Ana Soto (Hamburg, N.J./Vernon Township) secured a victory in an individual event and supported both relay wins, while Phoebe Armes (Somerset, UK/Millfield School) and Tatum Rothermel (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) each won an individual event and a relay.

Damico, a rookie from Brookhaven, Pa., registered two PSAC Championships qualifying times with a 25.22 in the 50 free and a 1:01.20 in the 100 fly. Three of Kutztown’s (3-6) PSAC qualifying times during the day were recorded in the 50 free, where the Maroon and Gold secured the top three finishes. Following Damico was second-place Frannie Pease-Wingenter (Goodyear, Ariz./Millennium) (25.45) and third-place Soto (25.53).

The 200 medley relay team consisting of Armes, Rothermel, Damico, and Soto kickstarted the meet with a victory at 1:54.64, initiating a streak of three consecutive event wins for Kutztown. Rodier accounted for the following two victories, winning the 1000 free in 11:15.10 and the 200 free in 2:03.58.

Rothermel narrowly edged out her teammates Birta Smaradottir (Mosfellsbær, Iceland/Commercial College of Iceland) and Jade Ware (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area) to win the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:12.61. Soto clocked in at 56.48 to outpace all competitors in the 100 free, while Armes triumphed in the 200 backstroke by more than two seconds with a time of 2:16.39.

Rodier finalized her sweep of the distance events with a PSAC qualifying time of 5:28.30 in the 500 free. She then anchored the Golden Bears’ 200 free relay team in the concluding event. Soto, Damico, and Pease-Wingenter teamed with Rodier to achieve the winning time of 1:43.06.

Kutztown aims to establish more PSAC qualifying times when it attends Big Spring High School for the John A. Pidgeon Memorial Invitational starting at 9 a.m.

 

KUTZTOWN 158, URSINUS 100
Friday, January 17, 2025 | Kutztown, Pa. | Keystone Natatorium
 
KUTZTOWN RESULTS
All distances in yards
 
200 Medley Relay
1. Kutztown ‘A’ (Armes, Rothermel, Damico, Soto), 1:54.64
3. Kutztown ‘B’ (Czerwinski, Smaradottir, LaTorres, Ruiz), 1:59.54
5. Kutztown ‘C’ (Wetzel, Fischer, Calistro, Martin), x2:09.71
 
1000 Freestyle
1. Annamarie Rodier (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), 11:15.10
4. Olivia Bing (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), 12:00.93
5. Lorelei Grove (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), 12:01.78
 
200 Freestyle
1. Annamarie Rodier (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), 2:03.58
3. Camryn Sedora (Chester, Md./Kent Island), 2:05.99
5. Ainsley Fischer (Newark, Del./Delaware Military Academy), 2:10.99
 
100 Backstroke
2. Phoebe Armes (Somerset, UK/Millfield School), 1:03.24
3. Ryleigh Czerwinski (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), 1:04.78
6. Paige Heck (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin), 1:09.81
Alexandra Wetzel (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), x1:12.20
 
100 Breaststroke
1. Tatum Rothermel (Halifax, Pa./Halifax), 1:12.61
2. Birta Smaradottir (Mosfellsbær, Iceland/Commercial College of Iceland), 1:13.28
3. Jade Ware (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area), 1:13.93
Anaya Ruiz (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley), x1:15.02
 
200 Butterfly
3. Jaylin Calistro (Temple, N.H./Contoocook Valley Regional), 2:38.99
 
50 Freestyle
1. Kara Damico (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley), 25.22, PSAC Qualifying
2. Frannie Pease-Wingenter (Goodyear, Ariz./Millennium), 25.45, PSAC Qualifying
3. Ana Soto (Hamburg, N.J./Vernon Township), 25.53, PSAC Qualifying
 
100 Freestyle
1. Ana Soto (Hamburg, N.J./Vernon Township), 56.48
3. Frannie Pease-Wingenter (Goodyear, Ariz./Millennium), 56.98
5. Cora Martin (Mohnton, Pa./Garden Spot), 1:02.12
 
200 Backstroke
1. Phoebe Armes (Somerset, UK/Millfield School), 2:16.39
3. Ryleigh Czerwinski (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), 2:21.61
4. Paige Heck (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin), 2:26.90
 
200 Breaststroke
2. Tatum Rothermel (Halifax, Pa./Halifax), 2:36.77
3. Birta Smaradottir (Mosfellsbær, Iceland/Commercial College of Iceland), 2:39.42
4. Jade Ware (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area), 2:40.99
 
500 Freestyle
1. Annamarie Rodier (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), 5:28.30, PSAC Qualifying
4. Camryn Sedora (Chester, Md./Kent Island), 5:41.93
5. Lorelei Grove (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), 5:55.83
 
100 Butterfly
1. Kara Damico (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley), 1:01.20, PSAC Qualifying
5. Jaylin Calistro (Temple, N.H./Contoocook Valley Regional), 1:12.27
 
200 Individual Medley
2. Phoebe Armes (Somerset, UK/Millfield School), 2:19.01
4. Jade Ware (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area), 2:24.34
5. Birta Smaradottir (Mosfellsbær, Iceland/Commercial College of Iceland), 2:26.11
 
200 Freestyle Relay
1. Kutztown ‘A’ (Soto, Damico, Pease-Wingenter, Rodier), 1:43.06
3. Kutztown ‘B’ (Czerwinski, Sedora, Ruiz, LaTorres), 1:48.01
5. Kutztown ‘C’ (Martin, Fischer, Bing, Heck), x1:53.32