Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
CHRISTIANSBURG, Virginia, October 18. It was a busy day of swimming at the Virginia Tech Duals with five programs all in competition today. Penn State swimming wound up with a perfect 4-0 record overall on the women’s side, with Virginia Tech claiming a victory in the men’s meet.
Penn State Press Release
The Penn State women’s swimming and diving team swept the field, picking up four dual victories at the Virginia Tech Challenge Saturday. The Nittany Lions downed Virginia Tech (197-156), Old Dominion (285-68), Liberty (270-74) and James Madison (274-79).
Penn State earned wins in 10 of the 19 events on the day, including the divers, while improving to 5-0 on the season. The Nittany Lions had two of the top three performers in 11 events on the day.
Junior Alyson Ackman (Montreal, Quebec), senior Carolyn Fittin (Sea Girt, N.J.) and senior Megan Siverling (Chester Springs, Pa.) each won multiple individual events.
Ackman finished first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.54) and the 100-yard freestyle (50.61). Fittin topped the field in the 50 free (23.37) and the 50-yard butterfly (24.78), her first time competing in the 50 fly. Siverling, who also won two events in the season opener, took gold in the 1000 free (9:53.47) and the 500 free (4:51.72). Her 1000 free performance is a personal best.
The Nittany Lions also won four relay events to cap off their victories. First, the team of juniors Casey Fazio (Washington Township, N.J.), Melissa Rodriguez (Chihuahua, Mexico), Katie Rowe (Glenville, N.Y.) and Ackman touched the wall in 3:44.30 in the 400-yard medley relay.
Later, junior Kaitlin Jones (Midlothian, Va.), sophomore Katie Saloky (Bloomsburg, Pa.), senior Katelyn Miller and Fittin teamed up to clock in at 1:33.52 to lead the field. Ackman, Rodriguez, Fittin and Saloky won the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:42.47, while Fittin, senior Caitlyn Karr (Reading, Pa.), Jones and Ackman also touched the wall first in the 400 free relay with a mark of 3:23.08.
In diving action, sophomore Mackenzie Cornell (Germantown, Md.) placed third in 3-meter action with a score of 280.10.
Penn State returns to action on Oct. 23, traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers.
The Penn State men’s swimming and diving team went 1-1 at the Virginia Tech Challenge on Saturday. The Nittany Lions defeated Old Dominion, 241-110, but fell to the host Hokies, 233-120.
Senior captain Nate Savoy (Reading, Pa.) was the top performer, winning two individual events and swimming on two first-place relay teams.
Penn State won five of the events and moved to a 2-1 dual meet record on the season. The Nittany Lions also had seven top-three finishes in individual events.
First, Savoy won the 50-yard backstroke, touching the wall in 22.16. Later, the senior posted the top time in the 200 backstroke, clocking in at 1:45.94.
Freshman David Gross (Perryville, Md.) also won an individual event for Penn State, his second win in two competitions this season. Gross topped the field in the 400-yard IM, posting a time of 4:01.88.
Savoy was also a member of the two relay teams that came out victorious for Penn State. The Nittany Lions earned their first victory of the day in the 400-yard medley relay. The team of Savoy, sophomore Andrew Schuehler (Camden, N.J.), senior Kyle Madley (Madison, N.J.) and sophomore Bob Bantley (Maple Glen, Pa.) recorded a time of 3:19.01.
In the 200 medley relay, Savoy, Schuehler, Madley and senior Jeff Young (Hershey, Pa.) earned gold by touching the wall in 1:30.09.
Penn State returns to action on Oct. 23, traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers.
Virginia Tech Press Release
The Virginia Tech swimming & diving teams won five of their six contests on Saturday in the Virginia Tech Swimming & Diving Challenge as the H2Okie men defeated Penn State and Old Dominion while the women defeated Old Dominion, Liberty and James Madison, but fell to Penn State.
Owen Burns and Klaudia Nazieblo led the way for the H2Okies, winning three swimming events each. Tech also dominated the diving competition, with T.J. Shinholser, Kaylea Arnett and Ashley Buchter taking home victories.
Tech’s men improve to 2-0 on the year. They beat Penn State (2-1) by a score of 233-120 and Old Dominion by a score of 282-71.
Tech’s women (3-0) picked up three wins but fell to Penn State (5-0). They defeated Old Dominion by a score of 280-73, Liberty (5-2) by a score of 246-103 and James Madison (1-3) by a score of 267-84.
“I thought the energy was fantastic,” head coach Ned Skinner said. “We are a training-based team this time of year, so to come here and race as hard as they did was great. Our senior leadership is the best we’ve ever had. They are truly the heart and soul of this program.”
For the men, Burns dominated his races, taking first place in the 100 yard freestyle, the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard individual medley. He also swam the third leg of the 400 yard freestyle relay to help Tech win the event.
Jake Ores also performed exceptionally in the meet, winning both the 500 yard freestyle and the 1000 yard freestyle. C.J. Fiala earned a win in the 50 yard freestyle when he finished in 20.56, and his brother, Brandon Fiala, won the 50 yard breaststroke in 26.22. Morgan Latimer also picked up a victory in the 200 yard butterfly, clocking in at 1:50.34.
Justin Edwards, a freshman in his first college meet, won the 200 yard breaststroke in 2:06.19. Drake Becksted also won the 50 yard butterfly in 22:08, while also finishing third in the 50 yard freestyle.
The H2Okies won both the freestyle relay events. C.J. Fiala, Kevin Hunt, Adam Stacklin and Lucas Bureau swam the 200 yard freestyle relay to post a winning time of 1:22.81. C.J. Fiala, Bureau, Burns and Hunt teamed up in the 400 yard freestyle relay to pick up the win in 3:00.82.
On the women’s side, the star of the afternoon was Nazieblo, a freshman from Poland. Nazieblo won the 200 yard butterfly, the 200 yard backstroke and the 100 yard individual medley.
Holly Harper also picked up a win in the 50 yard backstroke, finishing in 26.25. Alyssa Bodin won the 50 yard breaststroke after clocking in at 29.26. Additionally, Weronika Paluszek took home the 200 yard breaststroke with a time of 2:16.69.
The Tech divers also contributed significantly in the meet, winning every diving event of the day.
“For the first meet of the year, we’re on the right track,” head diving coach Ron Piemonte said. “Everything looks very good and I was really pleased with how the divers performed today. We’re moving in the right direction, working really hard now, and I think this was a very good first meet.”
In the men’s diving events, H2Okie divers claimed every top-three spot in both events. T.J. Shinholser had two first-place finishes, winning the 1-meter event with a score of 326.80 and the 3-meter with a score of 353.60. Behind him in the 1-meter, Kyle Butts finished second and Mauro Silva finished third. Behind him in the 3-meter, Silva finished second, Butts finished third and Logan Stevens finished fourth.
Tech was nearly as dominant on the women’s side, claiming every first-place finish. Kaylea Arnett won the 1-meter with a score of 303.55 and took second in the 3-meter. Ashley Buchter won the 3-meter and took fifth in the 1-meter. Kelli Stockton finished fourth in the 1-meter and fifth in the 3-meter.
Next up for the H2Okies is a road trip to North Carolina to battle two ACC foes. Tech will travel to North Carolina on Saturday and Duke on Sunday.
Liberty Press Release
Liberty completed a successful day against a tough field at the Virginia Tech Swimming & Diving Challenge, Saturday at Christiansburg Aquatic Center.
The Lady Flames defeated 2014 CAA runner-up James Madison (194-155) and Old Dominion (231-118). Liberty fell to Penn State of the Big Ten, 270-74, and the ACC’s Virginia Tech Hokies, 246-103.
Saturday’s program featured a slightly different schedule than normal, with 50-yard races of each stroke and a 100 individual medley.
Junior Kendall Hough placed second in the 50 free with a 23.40 clocking, as Penn State’s Carolyn Fittin swam 23.37 for first. Liberty senior Meghan Babcock took ninth, in 24.18.
Hough added a second-place finish by swimming 50 backstroke in 26.31, while sophomore Victoria Tschoke followed in 11th place, at 27.50.
Sophomore Heather McCorkel earned third in 200 free with her 1:51.08, while freshman Ashlee Sall placed 12th, in 1:55.35.
Hough touched the wall in 51.78 for 100 free, good for third place, while senior Cori Gary’s 53.00 placed 10th.
Lady Flames sophomore Morgan Noonan claimed third in the 200 breaststroke, swimming 2:21.14. Freshman Prudence Rooker went 2:26.33 for eighth.
McCorkel took fourth place in the 500 free, in 5:01.90, while freshman Sarah Browning (5:14.00) was 11th.
Rooker pocketed a pair of fourth-place finishes, beginning with a 29.88 swim in the 50 breaststroke. Noonan clocked 31.36 for 11th position.
Rooker completed the 100 IM in 59.30, good for fourth. Junior Ranndi Grubbs placed eighth in 1:00.94, while Tschoke (1:01.13) took 11th.
The Lady Flames placed third in the 200 free relay, with the quartet of Hough, senior Chloe Thomas, Gary and Babcock going 1:34.95.
Liberty’s 400 free relay of Hough, Babcock, Rooker and McCorkel went 3:28.40, good for third.
Duff, Noonan, Grubbs and Gary took fourth in the 400 medley relay, in 3:58.09.
The 200 medley relay team of Tschoke, Rooker, freshman Kendall Hart and Babcock took fourth place in 1:46.15.
Hart posted a sixth-place finish in the 50 fly with her time of 25.97. Grubbs (26.57) and freshman Danielle Boothe (26.91) took eighth and 12th, respectively.
Tschoke (2:05.35) and senior Emily Duff (2:05.89) earned eighth and ninth in the 200 back.
Junior Hannah Wakeley clocked 2:08.53 in the 200 fly, taking ninth place. Grubbs was the next finisher, in 2:09.85.
Duff came up with a ninth-place 400 IM finish in 4:37.16. Browning followed in 10th place, at 4:38.54.
Wakeley (10:36) earned 11th in the 1,000 free, while Browning’s 10:37.96 gave her the 12th spot.
The Lady Flames will next host Richmond on Oct. 31 at 5 p.m., in Liberty’s lone home meet of the 2014-15 swimming & diving schedule.
James Madison Press Release
The James Madison swimming and diving teams racked up three third-place finishes, as well as a 236-117 team victory over Old Dominion, to highlight their day at the Virginia Tech Swimming and Diving Challenge on Saturday afternoon.
“With this being our first competition of the season, I was looking for our girls to race well and apply all the hard work they’ve been putting in so far this season,” Interim Head Coach Dane Pedersen said. “Over all I was very happy with how we raced and I know Coach Benson was happy with how the divers competed and performed on the boards. They are such an integral part of our team.”
Senior Sin Hye Won (Springfield, Va./Springfield) started her final collegiate season in fine form, clocking a 29.75 in the 50 breaststroke to take third place, less than half a second behind the winner. Freshman Katie Parker (Millersville, Md./Severna Park) also turned in a top-ten showing, taking ninth place in 30.77
Won also had a hand in another third-place finish on the afternoon, as the senior swam the second leg of the 200 medley relay. She joined junior Kacy Edsall (Roanoke, Va./William Byrd), junior Ashley Clark (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and senior Susanne Ginger (Boalsburg, Pa./State College Area) as the Dukes touched the wall with a time of 1:45.79.
Redshirt sophomore Taryn McLaughlin (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) turned in the performance of the day on the boards for JMU, taking home the team’s final third-place finish with a score of 270.45 in the 1-meter event. McLaughlin was just three-tenths of a point behind the second place finisher. Junior Carly Alexander (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) and sophomore Olivia Lehman (Dayton, Ohio/Centerville) took home eighth and 10th with 222.25 and 214.60, respectively.
Junior Camilla Czulada (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) had a standout day in the freestyle sprints, finishing fifth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.81 before taking seventh in the 100 freestyle in 52.44. Czulada also swam the first leg for both the 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay, which finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Senior Aimee Hooper (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) picked up a couple top-10 finishes of her own, with a sixth-place finish in the 1000 freestyle in a time of 10:31.79 before clocking a 5:08.39 in the 500 freestyle to finish ninth.
“In addition to the performance, I was eager to see how we performed as a team,” Pedersen said. “This was our first opportunity to function as a team and support each other. It was a long meet, but the girls had good energy and supported on another.We still have plenty of work left to do this season, but this was a good start. We’ll learn a lot from this meet and it will help us continue to move forward.”
Aside from the win over Old Dominion, the Dukes dropped decisions to host Virginia Tech (267-84), Penn State (274-79) and Liberty (194-155) while in Christiansburg.
The Dukes will be back in action the weekend of Nov. 1-2, when they head down to Wilmington, N.C. to take part in the CAA Pod Meet. JMU will be joined by conference foes William and Mary, UNCW and Delaware