PENN STATE vs NAVY
- October 7, 2023
- McCoy Natatorium, University Park, PA
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
TEAM SCORES
MEN
- Penn State – 192.5
- Navy – 107.5
WOMEN
- Penn State – 196
- Navy – 104
Penn State hosted Navy for a men’s and women’s dual meet in University Park over the weekend. The Nittany Lions handled their opponent in both the men’s and women’s meets, winning a combined 27 of 32 events.
Penn State kicked things off in the men’s meet with a speedy 1:27.40 in the men’s 200 medley relay. Cooper Morley (21.99), Mariano Lazzerini (24.74), Victor Baganha (20.61), and Tommy Hurley (20.06) combined for the win.
From that group Lazzerini went on to sweep the men’s breaststroke events. He would win the men’s 100 breast by a little over a second, speeding to a 54.35. Lazzerini posted the fastest splits in the field on both 50s of the race, going out in 25.68 and coming home in 28.67. He then took the men’s 200 breast in 2:00.10, touching the wall first by well over 3 seconds. That was a well-split race as well, as Lazzerini went out in 58.54 on the first 100, then came home in 1:01.56.
Baganha would go on from the medley relay to be a double event winner as well. He was excellent in the men’s 50 free, swimming a 19.80 to win the race by over a second. Baganha then went on to win the 100 fly convincingly as well, stopping the clock in 47.30. He showed off his speed once again in that race, splitting 21.66 on the first 50. Even with that fast first 50, Baganha managed to keep his 50s with 4 seconds of each other, splitting 25.64 coming home.
Morley was another individual event winner. He won the men’s 200 back in 47.46, touching first by nearly 2 seconds. Morley put together an incredibly tightly split 100 back, going 23.34 on the first 50 then coming home in 24.12.
Three of the four swimmers from Penn State’s 200 medley relay would also help the 400 free relay to victory at the end of the meet. Tylor Kim joined Baganha, Morley, and Lazzerini on that relay, and the quartet combined for a 2:57.58, winning the race handily. Kim was out in 45.43 on the lead-off, then Baganha split a quick 43.13 on the 2nd leg, Morley was 44.17 on the 3rd leg, and Lazzerini anchored in 44.85.
Kim was also the champion in the men’s 100 free earlier in the meet, swimming a 45.24. That was an exceptional tight race, as Kim just touched out Navy’s Everet Andrew, who clocked a 45.27. Andrew was out 0.16 seconds ahead of Kim, but Kim came home just slightly faster, earning the win.
Notably, Andrew was the winner of the men’s 200 free, picking up one of Navy’s handful of wins on the day. He swam a 1:38.60, beating out Kim, who touched 2nd in 1:39.22. That was another great race between the two, seeing them stay within a tenth-of-a-second through the first 150 yards, then Andrew managed to pull away on the final 50.
Eduardo Cisternas was another double event winner for the Nittany Lions, sweeping the men’s distance free events. He kicked things off with a 9:18.45 in the 1000 free, winning by just shy of 10 seconds. Cisternas then went on to take the men’s 500 free in 4:30.43. He basically even-split the race, going 2:14.48 on the first 250, then came home in 2:15.95.
Penn State also benefitted from Hayden Elliott on the diving boards. Elliott won both men’s diving events, taking 1-meter with a score of 338.40, then scoring 350.63 to win 3-meter.
Penn State got out to a similar start in the women’s meet, taking the women’s 200 medley relay in 1:43.05. Abby Henderson (26.13), Kylie Rydland (29.77), Ellie Brandbergh (24.59), and Cat Stanford (22.56) teamed up for the win. Navy ended up finishing right behind in 1:43.27, thanks in large part to a speedy 28.89 on the breaststroke leg from Riley Gavigan.
Though Gavigan had a great split on the Navy 200 medley relay, it was another Navy swimmer, Lauren Walsh, who won the women’s 100 breast a little later in the meet. Walsh looked great in that race, swimming a 1:04.94. She actually led a 1-2-3 charge by Navy, marking their best event of the meet, men’s or women’s Theresa Milio came in 2nd with a 1:05.14, while Gavigan touched 3rd in 1:05.26.
Walsh would go on to win the women’s 200 breast as well, swimming a 2:20.08. Navy looked really good there as well, seeing Maddie Koutavas take 2nd in 2:22.20.
It’s just one meet, so I don’t mean to overreact, but it looks like Navy could easily have one of the best women’s breaststroke groups out of the Division I mid-major (non-Power Five) programs this season.
Back to Penn State, Catherine Meisner once again was in terrific form for her team. Meisner won the women’s 200 free and 500 free on the day. She took the 200 free in 1:49.50, winning by nearly 2 seconds. She was great on the front half of that race, splitting 52.89 on the opening 100. She was strong in the 500 as well, clocking a 4:59.80.
Meisner’s twin sister, Julia Meisner, was also an event winner on the day. Julia first won the women’s 200 fly in 2:03.40, narrowly beating out teammate Morgan Rinn (2:03.80). Meisner had opened up an early lead on Rinn, but Rinn came back on the 3rd 50 and actually inched into the lead, after which Meisner found another gear and managed to move back into 1st on the final 50.
Catherine Meisner also helped the Penn State women’s 400 free relay to victory. She led the team off in 51.94, putting them in the lead. Nya Robinson (52.13), Ellie Brandbergh (51.46), and Cat Stanford (50.72) completed the rest of the relay, putting the Nittany Lions into the finish in 3:26.25.
Abby Henderson was another double event winner for Penn State, taking the women’s 200 back and 200 IM. Henderson clocked a 2:01.71 in the 200 back, winning by over 2 seconds. She opened up a fairly large early lead, splitting 59.67 on the first 100. Moving on to the 200 IM, Henderson swam a 2:05.08, opening up a huge lead on the first half of the race and holding that lead through the back half.
Cat Stanford also won two individual events for the Nittany Lions, sweeping the women’s sprint free events. She won the women’s 50 free decisively, swimming a 23.33 to finish as the only swimmer in the field under 24 seconds. Stanford then went on to win the 100 free in 51.00.
OTHER EVENT WINNERS
- Men’s 200 fly: Sam Folger (PSU) – 1:49.10
- Men’s 200 back: Ben Irwin (Navy) – 1:48.51
- Men’s 200 IM: Sean Honey (PSU) – 1:51.10
- Women’s 1000 free: Morgan Moore (PSU) – 10:26.74
- Women’s 100 back: Molly Carson (PSU) – 55.58
- Women’s 100 fly: Ellie Brandbergh (PSU) – 56.32
- Women’s 1-meter diving: MacKenzie Kim (Navy) – 281.48
- Women’s 3-meter diving: Abigail Ekstrom (PSU) – 300.68