Pitt
West Virginia
Swimming and Diving Splits Dual Meet with West Virginia
1/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In a dominating performance, the women’s swimming and diving squad defeated the West Virginia, 188-111 Saturday at the WVU Natatorium, while the Pitt men’s squad fell to the Mountaineers, 180.5-119.5. The women have now defeated WVU in four consecutive years.
“Our women totally dominated West Virginia,” said head coach Chuck Knoles. “We won 12 events, going 1-2 in the women’s 1000 and 200 free, 100 and 200 breast, 500 free and 200 IM. We looked very sharp today on the women’s side in swimming.”
The women were paced by Sophomore Amanda Richey, who collected three wins on the day. She took first in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:08.35), 200-yard back (2:03.14) and 500-yard freestyle (5:01.71) individually. Senior Kaleigh Ritter followed Richey in the 1000 and 500 free.
Junior Kinga Cichowska took the 100 and 200 breast, while setting a pool record with a time of 1:03.39 in the 100. Sophomore Katherine Fernander placed second behind Cichowska in both events. Cichowska also earned a runner-up finish in the 200 IM behind Pitt freshman Hannah Wittman.
Senior Leticia Lelli won two events in the 100 fly and 200 free, while sophomore Emily Murphy led a Pitt in the 100 free. Wittman added a second-place finish in the 200 free, while senior Danyel Johnson finished second in the 50 free.
The Panthers also earned top finishes in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard free relay.
On the boards, sophomore diver Meme Sharp took home a first-place finish on the 1M boards and a second-place finish on the 3M.
On the men’s side, Pitt registered four top finishes, two in the pool in the 500 and 1000 free and two on the boards in the 1M and 3M.
“The meet was disappointing on the men’s side for swimming,” said Knoles. “The Mountaineer men thoroughly controlled the swimming. We looked a little lack luster except for the distance events. However, in diving, Dominic Giordano and Tony Galante were the class of the field in both the 1M and 3M boards, sweeping both events,” said Knoles.
Junior Dominic Giordano, dominated the boards against the Mountaineers, earning top finishes in both the 1M (365.25) and 3M (373.35). The Panthers finished 1-2 in both events, as junior Tony Galante placed behind Giordano on the 1M (296.70) and 3M (305.85).
Junior Spencer Gray and freshman Aaron Sett turned in predictably strong distance swims. Sett finished first in the 1000 free (9:26.10) and came in second in the 500 (4:36.99) behind Gray (4:36.55).
Individually, the Panthers had four swimmers earn runner-up finishes including freshman Brian Lovasik (100, 200 free) and seniors Mack Rice (100 back, 200 IM), Martin Vogel (200 fly) and Matthew Tankle (200 back). Pitt also earned runner-up finishes in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard free relay.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will return to Trees Pool next Saturday, Jan. 16, vs. Denison in a dual meet set for an 11 a.m. start.
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