Pitt Invite Weekend Rewind
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Results
PITTSBURGH - This year's Pitt Invite proved to be a successful tune-up for swimmers heading to the AT&T Winter Nationals from Dec. 4 - 6 in Greensboro, N.C.
In addition to three school records falling, eight student-athletes posted NCAA "B" cut times, including four who achieved the feat in two events apiece. Overall, Pitt men's and women's swimmers and divers recorded 79 lifetime best performances at the meet.
Between the two teams, the Panthers were able to register top season times or scores in 38 of the 42 events, including top marks in all 21 women's events. Pitt swimmers and divers were also responsible for claiming first place in 31 of the 42 events, with the women winning 19 of their 21.
Pitt's depth was on display all weekend as well, especially from the women who took the top two spots in 17 races, including the top three five times. The Panther women also had the top four, top five and top six one time each.
Sophomore Kinga Cichowska broke two school records she previously set last year as a freshman as she swept the breaststroke competition over the weekend. After initially breaking the record in the prelims of the 100 breast, Cichowska turned up the pace even more touching the wall in 1:01.12. Entering the day the record stood at 1:01.61. Cichowska also took down her 200 breast record of 2:12.02 by recording a time of 2:11.25. Both weekend performances were also B cuts. Cichowska picked up a win in her only other individual event of the weekend, the 200 IM, where her time of 2:02.75 was a personal best and fastest by a Pitt women's swimmer this year.
Cichowska was also a member of two relay winnings teams, the 200- and 400-yd medley relays. The 200 medley relay team finished the race in 1:41.22, which was less than a second off the school record.
Joining Cichowska in the record books was freshman Meme Sharp, who broke a 15-year old diving record that was last set in 1999. Sharp's score of 342.45 points in the 3-meter diving finals shattered Jamie Tomazich's longstanding score of 321.60 points. Sharp also competed in platform diving for the first time in her collegiate career and wound up second with 202.15 points.
There were a number of notable performances over the weekend, but no individual won more races than freshman Amanda Richey. She won all five of her individual events, which included a pair of NCAA B cuts in the 500 free (4:46.03) and 1650 free (16:15.84). Richey also cruised to victory in the 400 IM (4:21.70), 200 back (2:01.87) and 200 free (1:50.31). The former two are currently the top Pitt times this year. Richey also swam the first leg of Pitt's winning 800 free relay team, which notched a season-best time of 7:25.91.
Senior Cam Dixon was the only other female to finish with two B cuts on the weekend, finishing a close second to Cichowska in both breaststroke events. In the 100 breast, Dixon had a time of 1:02.10 while her time in the 200 breast was 2:14.27. Freshman Katie Fernander also had the first B cut time of her career in the 200 breast (2:15.41)
The women also received B cut performances from junior Kaleigh Ritter in the 500 free (4:47.26) and junior Blair Wegescheide in the 100 back (54.85). Wegescheide was on three winning relay teams, including the 200 medley and 400 medley relays with Cichowska and the 400 free relay.
In the sprint frees, freshman Emily Murphy swam to the win at both 50 and 100 yards with times of 23.40 and 51.08, respectively. Both times are Panthers season-bests. She also swam the third leg in Pitt's winning 200 free relay.
The remaining Pitt women who won individual events were senior Lauren Mills in the 100-yd fly (56.59 seconds) and junior Samantha Winkelmann in the 1-meter dive (289.80).
Senior Luke Nosbisch led the men's side with two B cut times in the breaststrokes. He took first in the 200-yd breast with a time of 1:59.71 and second in the 100 in 55.25 seconds. Both are top Panthers times this year. Nosbisch also swam the second leg of the winning 400 medley relay team that posted a time of 1:29.48.
Sophomore Zach Lierley was the only other male to hit an NCAA B cut time, doing so in the 200 IM with his first place time of 1:49.59. Lierley also won the longer 400 IM in 3:52.82.
Juniors David Sweeney and Sean Heiden teamed up on two winning relays and also won one individual event each. Both were members of the 200 free relay (1:20.86) and 400 free relay (2:59.02) teams. They also helped the Panthers take the sprint free races as Heiden won the 50 free in 20.58 and Sweeney took the 100 free in 44.76. Both are the fastest times by Pitt swimmers this season.
Winning his first collegiate race in the 200 back was freshman Austin Doss, with a time of 1:49.28 that ranks as the top Pitt time on the year.
The Panthers were kept out of first place in the distance free races by four-time NCAA Division II National Champion Victor Polyakov of West Chester, but that didn't stop from Pitt swimmers from posting top season times. In the 1650 free, sophomore Scott Simmer was third (15:44.39). Sophomore Spencer Gray and Sweeney were both runner up in the 500 free (4:29.38) and 200 free (1:39.19), respectively.
In diving, sophomore Tony Galante swept all three diving events, recording scores of 331.05 (1-meter), 314.60 (3-meter) and 303.90 (platform).
Pitt will next compete at the AT&T Winter Nationals held Dec. 4-6 in Greensboro, N.C.
Players Mentioned
