Indianapolis, IN … Junior Danica Roskos (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) and senior Laura Pierce (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) of The College of New Jersey women's swimming and diving team made history at the second day of competition at the 2012 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving National Championships.
 
Roskos became the first diver in program history to win back-to-back national titles as she claimed the 1-meter diving event in thrilling fashion. Pierce became the most decorated women's swimmer in Lions' program history earning three more All-American honors for a total of 20, surpassing head coach Jennifer Harnett '93 who had 18. Pierce clinched those honors by qualifying for the championship finals in the 100-butterfly, 200-free relay and 400-medley relay.
 
Roskos, who became the first TCNJ athlete to win multiple national titles at the same championship in 2011, returned to the 2012 NCAA championships to defend her title. Trailing Julie Pinter of Baldwin Wallace College throughout the entire event and entering the final dive, Roskos nailed a two and a half front twister for a score of 46.80 to win the event with a total of 450.60. Pinter finished second with 448.75.
 
Pierce placed 4^th overall in the 100-butterfly with a time of 55.20. It marked the third straight season that Pierce finished in the top six in that event, and her fourth overall All-American citation in the 100-fly.
 
The relay team of junior Kayleigh Shangle (Highland Park, NJ/Highland Park), senior Melissa Hessler (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra), freshman Brennah Ross (Paoli, PA/Cyber Charter School), and Pierce placed 7^th nationally with a finish of 1:35.33. The performance registered 24 points for the overall team score for the Lions.
 
In the 400-medley relay, sophomore Hailey Growney (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills), Shangle, Pierce, and Ross took 7^th overall in 3:52.76 to earn All-American honors. The finish tacked on another 24 points for TCNJ as they currently stand in sixth place overall halfway through the national championships.
 
Sophomore Sabrina Lucchesi (Columbus, NJ/Notre Dame) placed 18^th overall in the 1-meter diving event with a total of 358.55.
 
Shangle will race in the 100-breast stroke event tomorrow. She placed fifth in that event in 2010. Ross will compete in the 200-butterfly tomorrow. She is the school record-holder in that event.
 
Note: Roskos joins outdoor track star Jill Watts (javelin) in 1981 and 1982, and wrestlers Mike Rosetti (1978 and 1979), Tim Jacoutot (1987 and 1988), and Glenn Sandull (1993 and 1994) as the only other Lions' athletes to win a national title in back-to-back years in an individual event. 

Roskos meets NCAA President Mark Emmert