Girls Swim/Dive: Sectional champion Penn sets sights on State

Penn Girls Swim/Dive has its sights set on State after winning the 2026 Sectional Championship on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Lauren McGrath, Molly Barnes, and Alayna Riggins won 4 blue ribbons each, qualifying for the State finals February 13-14 at the Indiana University Indianapolis Natatorium. Click here for State information.

McGrath, a Minnesota commit, placed first in the 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.

Molly Barnes, an SMU commit, won the 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.

Purdue signee Alayna Riggins won the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.

Other State individual qualifiers include Aylin Bilgicer and Caroline Ball in the 100 butterfly, and the 200 freestyle relay featuring Sofia Hayes, Ball, Bilgicer, and Richards. Catalina Martinez-Gil won the diving regional championship to qualify for state.

This weekend is the IHSAA State finals located at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, where the individual and relay qualifiers will compete in the preliminaries and finals. Representing are: McGrath, Barnes, Riggins, Bilgicer, Ball, Emmi Richards, Hayes.

Swimming preliminaries begin 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13. Diving preliminaries and semifinals begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 14, with finals for both swimming and diving starting at 1 p.m.