Max Matteazzi Wins Three Races as Pitt Brawls Past West Virginia, George Washington
Max Matteazzi won three individual events over a two-day meet at Trees Pool, leading Pittsburgh to wins over West Virginia and George Washington.
The Pitt men claimed victories of 210.5-89.5 over GW and 227-70 over its backyard brawl rival West Virginia. The women were similarly victorious, 215.5-84.5 over GW and 240-57 over the Mountaineers.
George Washington won the third dual among them, topping West Virginia by a 184-110 score on the men’s side and 190-104 on the women’s.
Matteazzi led the way for the Panthers with an impressive triple. He started Friday with a time of 9:11.08 to win the 1,000 freestyle. On Saturday, he clocked in at 1:57.93 to win the 200 breaststroke in a 1-2 with teammate Eli Hobson, who had won the 100 breast on Friday. Matteazzi continued on to claim the 200 individual medley in 1:45.60.
Pitt bookended the meet with relay triumphs. Hobson swam breaststroke on the winning relay quartet. The other three members – Krzysztof Radziszewski, Julian Koch and Donat Fabian – swam on both victorious relays. Fabian was the runner-up to Hobson in the 100 breast and to teammate Guy Frimis in the 100 free. Koch won the 50 free in 19.96, with relay teammate Neil Mortimer second, then claimed the 100 fly in 47.58 with Mortimer third.
Marcin Goraj picked up a pair of victories, going 1:36.07 to edge Frimis in the 200 free and 1:45.92 in the 200 back. Cameron Cash scored 338.60 to win platform diving, three points ahead of teammate Jackson Salisbury. Cash won 3-meter with a score of 356.80 to key a Pitt sweep,
On the women’s side, Pitt’s dominance was predicated on the 100-yard strokes, with the Panthers taking 11 of 12 podium places across four events. Sydney Gring won the 100 back in 52.39 ahead of mates Claire Jansen and Barbara Schaal. Cecilia Viberg’s 1:01.80 led a sweep in the 100 breast. Avery Kudlac was first in the 100 free in 49.40, with Schaal second and Anna Wiechertjes third. Sophie Yendell took home the 100 fly.
Yendell won the 50 free in 22.54 ahead of Wiechertjes. Kudlac did the fly double by winning the 200. Jansen and Gring split up after the 100 back, with Jansen claiming the 200 and and Gring winning the 200 IM. Jansen, Viberg, Yendell and Wiechertjes comprised the winning medley relay. Kudlac subbed for Viberg to compose the winning 200 free quartet. Jess Vega won platform diving, and Rachel Dickerson prevailed on 3-meter.
Ava Topolewski won twice for George Washington on the women’s side. Her 9:58.30 was the only time under 10 minutes to claim the 1,000 free, then she bested Gring by three seconds in the 500. Molly Smyers used a fast final 50 to win the 200 breast in 2:16.33 and was second in the 200 IM. Moriah Freitas was second in both fly events, with Smyers third in the 200 fly.
GW’s Daniel Choi won the 500 free with a time of 4:29.53, after having come second to Matteazzi in the 1,000. Connor Rodgers claimed the 200 fly and was second in the 200 IM, and Ganesh Sivaramakrishnan claimed the 100 back.
West Virginia’s lone win in either meet was supplied by Maddie Smutny in the 200 free with her time of 1:49.53. Natasha Whittall finished second in the 200 back. The best result of the men was Justin Heimes’ runner-up placement in the 100 back. Conner McBeth was third in both free sprints.
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