There have been many great women athletes and coaches who led Penn State teams to successful seasons, earning conference and national honors in the fifty years since Title IX enactment. This section displays only a small sampling of images of athletes and coaches who were among the best during their collegiate careers at Penn State. The collection link below leads to the collection guide and inventory of more than 11,000 men’s and women’s athletes, coaches, and administrators dating back to the 1880s. Materials in each file may include photos, biographical material, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles for a specific athlete.
Fran McDermid
Fran McDermid competed on the swim team in the freestyle and butterfly from 1989 to 1993. She consistently finished in the top three in many meets throughout her career. During her freshman year, McDermid set school records in the 50m and 100m freestyle and helped Penn State upset Harvard at the Eastern Women’s Swimming League by leading off in four winning relays. McDermid was the first Penn State athlete to win an individual championship at a Big Ten Conference tournament or championship in 1992, winning the 100m and 200 freestyle, setting both school and conference records. She was named a first team All-American and qualified for the Olympic trials in her junior year, becoming the first Penn State swimmer to compete in the consolation finals at the trials.
Kristen Woodring
Kristen Woodring was on the swim team from 2001 to 2002 and 2004 to 2005, mainly competing in the 200 yard breaststroke and 200 and 400 yard medley relays. She won two titles and broke two Big Ten records in the 100 breaststroke and 200 medley relay and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Woodring was a solid performer at the NCAA championships all four years of her collegiate career. During her sophomore year, Woodring earned All-America status with a third–place finish at the NCAAs. She earned All-America status in three events in her junior and senior years, helping the team to a 13th place finish at the 2005 NCAA championships.
Mary Ellen Clark
Mary Ellen Clark was a member of the women’s diving team from 1982 to 1985 and was the first full scholarship diver to attend Penn State. She was a seven-time Eastern champion and a six-time All American. While working on her master’s degree at Ohio State, she focused her training on the 10m platform and won national titles in that event in 1987 and 1992. Clark was named the Woman Athlete of the Year in diving in 1992, 1993, and 1994.
She was a member of the U.S. diving team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and won the bronze medal in the 10m competition. Clark dealt with vertigo at various times of her career and had to take the 1995 season off to overcome symptoms. However, she returned to the sport at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as the oldest diver to ever win a medal in the 10m event at the age of 33 when she took the bronze.
Clark was number 9 on the list of Penn State 100 Greatest Athletes in 2020.
Sandy Bizal
Sandy Bizal was on the swimming team from 1979 to 1981 and 1983. She won many of her races as she competed in 50 and 100-yard butterfly, 50-yard freestyle, 100 and 200-yard individual medleys, and 200 and 400-yard medley relays. Bizal was an All-American in the 50m butterfly in 1979, 1980 and 1981 and 200m freestyle relay in 1983.
Here is the link to the athlete’s and coaches’ files collection: Pennsylvania State University, Intercollegiate Athletics public relations files