Youngstown State at Marshall
- Huntington, West Virginia
- Oct. 5, 2019
- Marshall 216.5-81.5
- Results
Courtesy: Marshall Athletics
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall swimming and diving defeated Youngstown State, 216.5-81.5, in the season-opening meet in Huntington on Saturday afternoon. The Thundering Herd took 15 of the 16 events in the meet.
“We had a great showing at our first meet of the year,” Thundering Herd head coach Ian Walsh said after the win. “Our team brought a ton of energy throughout the meet and we really fed off of it.”
Catherine Bendziewicz won four events, the 200-yard medley relay with teammates Jordyn O’Dell, Nicole Rueff and Regan Raines, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley and was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Maddie Young took both the one- and three-meter diving events for MU.
“The girls did a great job diving in their first meet,” Marshall diving coach Megan Siford said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the season. All the practice inside and out of the pool has paid off.”
Rueff took the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events in her first meet with Marshall, while Angelica Di Marzio won 500- and 1000-yard freestyle, Raines won the 200-yard freestyle and O’Dell won the 100-yard backstroke.
“Freshman Nicole Rueff came away with not just one, but two first place showings this meet,” Walsh commented on the freshman’s day. “Regan Raines also notched her first collegiate win today. We had several tough doubles that a select few did a great job of working through them.”
Darby Coles was victorious in the 50- and the 100-yard freestyle events as Heather Sigmon triumphed in the 200-yard backstroke.
The Herd closed out the event with a win in the 400-yard freestyle by O’Dell, Adriana Abruzzino, Alexis Wilhoit and Bendziewicz.
“It was great to share the deck with our staff for the first time together since bringing on Taylor this spring,” Walsh said. “Our staff saw a lot of positive things throughout the meet but many things we can improve as well. We look forward to the next two months of training and seeing how the team progresses through our fall schedule.”
Marshall will continue its fall season on Nov. 1 at the West Virginia games in Morgantown.
Courtesy: Youngstown State Athletics
Senior Tiphaine Saint-Gilles won the 200-yard breaststroke to highlight the Youngstown State women’s swimming and diving’s season-opening meet on Saturday at Marshall.
Saint-Gilles touched the wall in 2:28.28 to provide YSU’s event win for the day. The Thundering Herd took the top spot in the other 15 events and won the event 216.5-81.5. It was the Penguins’ first meet under head coach Brad Smith.
Youngstown State’s reinstated men’s team participated in the dual in time trials because Marshall does not have a men’s team.
Saint-Gilles also finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.83), and four of her teammates also had runner-up finishes. Aida Jurinovics earned a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 fly (2:09.20) and the 100 fly (1:00.52), and Tess Weiskopf (3-meter diving – 222.45), Averi McCarthy (200 back – 2:13.30) and Mallory Pitstick (200 breast – 2:33.34) each had one.
Earning third-place finishes were Josie Preski in the 1,000 free (10:49.09) and the 500 free (5:16.96), Aubrey Whitaker in the 200 free (1:56.71) and the 100 free (53.92), Hannah Olger in the 100 back (1:01.95), Taylor Bishop in the 50 free (25.37), Weiskopf on the 1-meter board (222.30) and Jurinovics in the 200 IM (2:13.76).
The 400 free relay team of Olger, Bishop, Preski and Whitaker earned a second-place finish (3:41.06).
The Penguins will return to action next Saturday in a meet against Pitt and Duquesne at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Diving will begin at 10 a.m., and swimming events will start at 1 p.m.