2015 ECAC Open Day One: Pitt Women, Navy Men Lead the Team Races Amid Record-Setting Swims

2015 ECAC Open Swimming & Diving Championships

• Dates: Friday, February 27 – Sunday, March 1, 2015; prelims 11am, finals 6pm
• Location: Trees Pool, University of Pittsburgh(Eastern Time Zone)
• Live Results: Available
• Live Video: Available

Day One of the three-day ECAC Open Swimming and Diving Championships, being held at the University of Pittsburgh, has wrapped up and after 12 events, Pitt women and Navy men are at the top of their respective team standings. Day One results available here.

Women’s Meet

Pitt got off to a fast start with a meet record in the 200 free relay of 1:33.20 from the foursome of Alex Iwanicki (23.44), Mary Beth Blocher (23.57), Tia VanLandeghem (23.10), and Emily Murphy (23.09). Penn went 1:33.72 for second with Kimberly Phan, Irene Katopodis, Bernadette D’Alonzo, and Laine Higgins. Vermont was third in 1:35.09 (Christa Weaver, Andie Blaser, Courtney Gray, and Abby Holmquist).

It was an all-freshman podium in the women’s 500 as Sabrina Mortell of Army hit a 4:52.03 for the win ahead of New Hampshire’s Jessica Harper (4:55.61) and Penn’s Kristen Moss (4:55.80). Moss out-touched Army’s Bridget Ritter by 11/100.

There was a lot of splashing and dashing in the women’s 50 free, as the top eight all touched within .23 of each other. New Hampshire’s Elizaveta Baykova was the first to the wall with 23.23. Second through fifth places all came in within .01 of each other. Army’s Molly Mucciarone (23.35) finished second and was followed by Alex Iwanicki of Pitt (23.36), Penn’s Irene Katopodis (23.37), and Pitt’s Emily Murphy (23.38).

Pitt’s divers swept the podium of women’s 1-meter diving. Meme Sharp scored 297.10 for the win. She was followed by teammates Rachel Saunders (268.25) and Sam Winkelmann (258.80).

Pitt began the evening as it had begun it: with a winning relay. The Panthers broke the meet record in the 400 medley relay with 3:45.45 (Blair Wegescheide-53.71; Maddie Marcelle-1:03.34; Lauren Mills-56.94; and Blocher-51.46). Penn came in second with Elyssa Pedote, Lia Lombardi, Higgins, and Katopodis (3:51.61). In third place was the Navy quartet of Alex Hoiles, Nicole Hetzer, Melissa Boughton, and Amy Davis (3:53.30).

Standings After Day One – Women

1. Pittsburgh, University of 214
2. U.S. Naval Academy 152.5
3. University of Pennsylvania 152
4. Army Swim & Dive 125
5. Marist College Swimming/Diving 100
6. Bucknell University 94
7. Vermont, University of 60
8. Simmons College 59.5
9. University of New Hampshire 49
10. Marymount University 32
11. Regis College 22
12. Colby-Sawyer College Chargers 18
13. Frostburg State University 18
14. Saint Peter’s University 15
15. Drew University 14
16. University of New England 12
17. Cabrini College 10
18. Rider University 4

Men’s Meet

The men’s meet began with 1-meter diving. Pitt’s Anthony Galante and Dominic Giordano went 1-2 on the boards with 342.60 and 332.95 points, respectively. Binghamton’s Devin Zdanowski placed third with 307.85.

Army’s 200 free relay team of Evin Rude (20.97), Nick Treiberg (20.23), Devin McCall (20.42), and Chris Szekely (19.89) took first place with 1:21.51. Binghamton went 1:22.06 for second with Peter Behan, Travis Blank, Eric Farm, and Brian McKenna. Navy’s DJ Rusiewski, Joseph Jaime, Kevin Stoddard and Michael Bundas came in third in 1:22.15.

Navy proved once again how strong they are in mid-distance freestyle with a 1-2-3 sweep of the men’s 500 free. Thomas Duvall set the pool and meet record with his winning 4:17.93, while Alex Nickell came in under the old meet mark, going 4:21.64. Riley Mita came in third with 4:24.69.

It was Columbia’s Codi Saunders with the win in the men’s 50 free, getting to the wall in 20.28. McKenna of Binghamton was runner-up in 20.44, while Army’s Szekely picked up a third in 20.62.

The men’s meet came to a close with a Columbia win in the 400 medley relay. Zach Thomas (50.04), Forrest Davis (55.26), Drew May (48.91, and Saunders (43.69) combined for 3:17.90, ahead of Navy (3:18.17-DJ Rusiewski, Morgan DeJong, Hayes McCullagh, and Stoddard) and Army (3:18.81-Rude, Grayson Whitten, Will Viana, Szekely).

Standings After Day One – Men

1. U.S. Naval Academy 224
2. Binghamton, State University o 157
3. Marist College Swimming/Diving 124
4. Army Swim & Dive 112
5. Columbia University 111
6. University of Pennsylvania 94
7. Pittsburgh, University of 91
8. Rider University 74
9. Bucknell University 48
10. Maine, University of, Orono 43
11. Loyola University 22
12. Umbc Swimming & Diving 20
13. Marymount University 18
14. Regis College 14
15. Saint Peter’s University 12