Pitt
Hoosierland Invitational
Malatesta Named Pitt Performer of the Meet
11/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Nov. 23, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Junior Tiffany Malatesta earns Pitt’s Performer of the Meet honor, as the University of Pittsburgh women’s swimming and diving team gained valuable experience at the Hoosierland Invitational at Indiana University, this past weekend. No team scores were kept for this event.
Malatesta (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) was the third leg of the 200 free relay team, that placed fourth in the invitational. The rest of the team included while sophomore Kristen McMullan (West Chester, Pa./West Chester Henderson), sophomore Caitlin Trant (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and junior Lisa McDonnell (Columbia, Pa./Hempfield).
From that relay, McDonnell placed fifth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 and 200 free, McMullan finished seventh in the 50 free and 14th in the 100 free. McMullan also placed seventh in the finals of the 100 fly.
Additionally, Pitt’s 400 free relay team of McDonnell, junior Megan Sculley (Sinking Springs, Pa./Wilson/William and Mary), freshman Elena Spak (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson) and McMullan took fourth at 3:31.06.
Junior Ryann Kishbaugh (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) recorded the best finish of the weekend with a third-place performance in the 100 back (56.56). She also placed fifth in the finals of the 200 back (2:03.70) and 12th in the 100 fly.
Later, sophomore Laura Barnes (Pickering, Ont./Dunbarton) was fourth in the 200 breast (2:18.40), shedding nearly two seconds off her prelims time. She was also sixth in the 100 breast. Also earning two finishes in the finals, freshman Megan Bender (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park) placed sixth in the 100 back and seventh in the 200 back.
Sophomore Katherine Cutrell (Ligonier, Pa./Greensburg) finished fifth in the 500 free and 10th in the 200 free. She also swam faster than her seed time (17:12.35) to earn a sixth-place finish in the 1650 free at 16:44.67.
Junior Sophie Cross (Thornton, Pa./Glen Mills) placed eighth in the 200 fly (2:07.44), 12th in the 400 IM and 100 breast and touched for 19th in the 200 IM.
Earning seeds in consolation races, senior Ruth Seiffert (Boothwyn, Pa./Garnet Valley) placed 10th in the 100 breast, 13th in the 200 free and claimed a 14th-place finish in the 200 breast. Freshman Tamara Lelli (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) placed sixth in the 100 fly and recorded an 11th-place finish in the 200 fly, after improving upon her prelim finish.
Next, sophomore Sarah Looney (Sugar Hill, Ga./North Gwinnett) finished 14th in the 200 free and 15th in the 200 fly, while junior Allie Horvath (Oxford, Ohio/Badin) finished fourth in the consolation heat of the 100 and 200 backs for a 12th overall finish in both events.
Trant would also claim a 12th-place finish in the 100 fly and was one of three, including Malatesta and freshman Yolandi Van Rooyen (Phalaborwa, South Africa/Ben Vorster) who turned in top 12 finishes in the 50 free.
Kishbaugh, Barnes, McMullan and McDonnell combined for a third-place finish in the 400 medley relay, while Kishbaugh, Barnes, Trant and McMullan placed fifth as the members of the 200 medley relay team.
The 800 free relay team placed fourth, as McDonnell, Cutrell, senior Erin Meehan (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) and Seiffert turned in a time of 7:36.82.
