Ohio State Downs Virginia Tech, With Men Winning By Just One Point
The Ohio State Buckeyes made the trip to Christiansburg, Va., this weekend for a two-day dual meet against the Virginia Tech Hokies and emerged with a pair of victories. The women had a somewhat comfortable advantage, winning by a 196-157 margin, but the men needed every last point as the squeaked out a 177-176 triumph in a back-and-forth affair.
Ohio State’s winning men’s campaign began with Sam Campbell touching first in the 500 freestyle (4:26.25), and Martin Perecinsky followed up with a win in the 200 backstroke (1:45.45), with teammate Cornelius Jahn (1:45.56) just behind for a 1-2 finish. The 200 butterfly brought another 1-2 finish, courtesy of Tristan Jankovics (1:47.45) and Alex Metzler (1:47.70).
On the second day of the meet, the 400 IM the Buckeyes earn a 1-2-3-4 sweep, led by Jankovics in 3:47.43, and Tomas Navikonis topped the 200 free in 1:36.92. Alex Metzler took first in the 1000 free (9:14.70), with the Buckeyes again getting big points with a 1-2-3 finish. Ohio State’s Tyler Read was the winner of 1-meter diving (373.35).
But the win was not decided until the 400 free relay, where Navikonis, Evan Fentress, Mario McDonald and Daniel Baltes took first in 2:53.83, with Baltes anchoring in 42.58 to overtake Hokies anchor Luis Dominguez Calonge and secure first place. Moreover, OSU also needed a third-place finish from its B-team, and that happened by a half-second to give the team the one-point triumph.
The Virginia Tech men had struck first in the 200 free relay, with Youssef Ramadan, Brendan Whitfield, William Hayon and Tanis George Mathew winning in 1:18.72. Carles Coll Marti was the winner of the 200 IM (1:44.77) and 100 breaststroke (53.31), and Brendan Whitfield won the 100 free (42.97).
The Hokies made it two-for-two in relays on the first day when Ramadan, Coll Marti, Hayon and Whitfield dominated the 400 medley in 3:10.71, and the exact same quartet won the 200 medly relay (1:25.64) to open Saturday’s competition. Hayon won the 100 fly in 47.42, and Coll Marti’s grabbed two individual wins, in the 200 breast (1:57.47) and 50 free (18.70). Ramadan topped the 100 back (47.74), and Jacob Fisher won 3-meter diving (373.95).
On the women’s side, freshman Sienna Angove started off the meet for Ohio State with a 2:00.82 clocking for the win in the 200 IM, followed by Mila Nikanorov topping the 500 free (4:48.62). Jessica Eden won the 200 fly (2:03.69) to round out the Buckeyes’ winning efforts in the pool on day one, but they were ready to fire Saturday.
Nyah Funderburke, Maria Ramos, Katherine Zenick and Teresa Ivan began day two with a win in the 200 medley relay (1:39.42), and Mia Rankin won the 400 IM (4:22.04). Zenick was the winner of the 100 fly (54.38), followed by Ava DeAngelis winning the 200 breast (2:16.38). Nikanorov won her second event of the meet with a dominant 1000 free performance (9:53.57). In diving, OSU’s Paola Pineda swept 1-meter (337.95) and 3-meter (356.70).
Virginia Tech’s women won the 200 free relay, with Carmen Weiler Sastre, Emily Claesson, Anna Summers and Fanni Gyurinovics combining for a time of 1:31.07. Emily Santos won the 100 breast (1:01.76), and Emma Atkinson took first in the 200 back (1:56.00). Weiler Sastre was the winner of the 100 free (49.03), and the team of Weiler Sastre, Santos, Athena Meneses Kovacs and Claesson won the 400 medley relay in 3:37.81.
On day two, Weiler Sastre won the 200 free (1:47.66) and 100 back (53.16), and Claesson topped the 50 free (22.96). Weiler Sastre, Claesson, Fanni Gyurinovics and Atkinson took the 400 free relay in 3:18.64.