Swimming & Diving Prepares For Homecoming Weekend
10/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
| Pitt vs. St. Bonaventure/ Bucknell | |||
| Date | Friday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. (ET) & Saturday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m (ET) | ||
| Location | Trees Pool / Pittsburgh, Pa. | ||
| Television | N/A | ||
| Radio | N/A | ||
| Online | Live Video vs. (Friday) | Live Video (Saturday) | | ||
| Game Notes / Stats | 2014-15 Top Times | 2014-15 Factbook | School Records | ||
| Promotions | Squeeze Into Trees | National Food Day | ||
| Social Media | @PittSwimAndDive - Twitter / Facebook / Instagram | ||
PITTSBURGH - Homecoming this year will be extremely busy for the Pitt swimming and diving team with three meets and a celebration on tap for this weekend.
First, Pitt takes on St. Bonaventure in a dual meet at Trees Pool on Friday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. Following the meet, senior assistant coach Marian Cassidy Clark is being honored by the University as one of this year's "Awardees of Distinction."
On Saturday, Oct. 25, Pitt will hold its annual Alumni meet beginning at 9 a.m. Two hours later at 11 a.m. Pitt and Bucknell will face off in a dual meet to close out the weekend.
LAST TIME OUT
The Pitt women's team recorded its first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference victory, topping Georgia Tech 169-131 and picked up two wins on the weekend, one versus the Yellow Jackets and another against Georgia Southern, 237-63.
Pitt's men lost to Georgia Tech 170-125 and are now 1-1 overall on the season and 1-1 in the ACC.
COACH CLARK NAMED PITT 'AWARDEE OF DISTINCTION'
This year the swimming and diving team's coach Marian Cassidy Clark will be recognized as a Pitt 'Awardee of Distinction' on Friday, Oct. 24 following Pitt's meet with St. Bonaventure.
The award ceremony honors varsity letterwinners who have distinguished themselves in their professions and communities and who, by their accomplishments, have enhanced the value of Pitt's intercollegiate athletic programs. Cassidy Clark is one of six honorees this year.
The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner is at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is $40 and if you are a former varsity letterwinner, the price of dinner includes a ticket to the homecoming football game between Pitt and Georgia Tech on Saturday. To RSVP to the event and watch coach Clark receive her award contact Kim Deri at kderi@athletics.pitt.edu or 412-648-8889.
SQUEEZE INTO TREES
Pitt swimming and diving is calling all student organization groups on campus to attend Friday night's meet against St. Bonaventure. The student organization the brings the most students to the swim meet will be awarded $200 for their group. There is also a $100 prize for the organization that comes in second place.
NATIONAL FOOD DAY
October 24 is recognized as "Food Day," which inspires Americans to change their diets and focus on healthier and more sustainable food choices. Throughout the course of the meet, gifts cards to healthy food restaurants will be given out as prizes to bring awareness to the healthy options that are readily available in the Oakland area.
SWIMMERS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST
Through two weeks of competition, a total of 20 Pitt swimmers, 12 men and eight women, have posted some of the top-100 times in the country in their respective races, which USA Swimming compiles every week.
Freshmen Amanda Richey leads all women with three top-100 times, including the ninth fastest time in Division I in the 1,000-yd freestyle. Her time of 9:54.46 came during the season-opening meet with Duke. Richey also has top times in the 500 free, where she is ranked 32nd, and in the 200 free. Richey's 1,000 showing is currently the best time of all ACC swimmers.
Sophomore Kinga Cichowska has also recorded some incredible performances in the breaststroke on the young season. Her season-best times last weekend in Atlanta in the 100-yd breast (1:03.34) and 200-yd breast (2:16.81) rank 26th and 23rd, respectively. Both of Cichowska's times place her sixth among the rest of the ACC competition.
On the men's side, juniors Mack Rice and Martin Vogel and sophomore Zach Lierley all have three top-100 times nationally this year so far. Vogel, whose top times have come in the 100- and 200-yd fly and 200 IM, has his best ranking at 27th in the 200 fly (1:49.23). Rice has swam best in the 100-yd back, 100 fly and 200 IM while Lierley has shown his versatility with impressive results in the 1,000 free, 200 back and 200 IM. Senior Koroush Ahani has the highest ranking on the men's side at 24th with his time of 48.97 seconds in the 100 fly.
RICHEY REGISTERS FRESHMAN RECORD
In back-to-back meets (including Blue-Gold), freshman Amanda Richey established the freshman record in the 1,000-yd freestyle. Initially, she broke junior Kaleigh Ritter's two-year old freshman record with a time of 9:58.78, lowering the standard by nearly three seconds. Against Duke, Richey took down her own time, swimming the 1,000 free in a freshman record of 9:54.46. She is only 4.46 seconds away from Ritter's school record (9:50.00).
NOSBISCH AND LIERLEY SET EYES ON OLYMPICS
Qualifying times for the 2016 Olympic Trials were recently released, and two Pitt swimmers already made the cut with their performances at the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships, held back in August.
Senior Luke Nosbisch, who previously swam at the 2012 Olympic Trials, qualified in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:15.89 - a full 2.5 seconds faster than the cut time. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Jon, who is a senior at Pitt this year and qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials, Zach Lierley will participate at the next Olympic Trials in the 200-meter backstroke. His time of 2:03.14 was 0.65 faster than the qualifying standard.
UP NEXT
Pitt gets a well-deserved break and takes next weekend off before traveling to Notre Dame for a two-day dual meet with the Irish and Virginia Tech that pits three ACC teams against each other. The meet begins on Friday, Nov. 7 at 5 p.m. and concludes on Saturday, Nov. 8 starting at 10 a.m.
Players Mentioned
