All-American Matt Fallon Debuts With 54.29 100 BR As Penn Takes First Dual Win

PENN V. VILLANOVA

• Wednesday, November 9, 2022
• Sheerr Pool, Philadelphia, PA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

MEN’S TEAM SCORES

1. Penn – 182
2. Villanova – 110

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES

1. Penn – 186
2. Villanova – 112

The University of Pennsylvania hosted its second dual meet of the season against Villanova on Wednesday, and the Quakers rebounded from a loss against Columbia with dominant victories from the men’s and women’s teams, winning 10 and 11 events apiece.

Most notably, All-American and 200 breast Ivy League Record Holder (1:51.44) Matt Fallon made his 2022-23 debut after missing out on Saturday’s season opener. Sophomore Fallon won the 100 breast with ease, going 54.29, which was over three and a half seconds ahead of teammate Matthew Leblanc (57.88). Fallon’s swim is now the top time in the Ivy League, having just edged out Princeton senior Raunak Khosla’s 54.47.

The Penn 200 medley relay of freshman James Curreri (23.89), senior Neil Simpson (25.13), freshman Alex Fu (22.03), and junior Benjamin Feldman (20.34) started the meet with a decisive victory.

Curreri won the 500 free (4:39.29), with Villanova senior Jake McIntyre taking second with a 4:41.94. Fu took first in the 200 fly (1:51.24), leading a 1-2-3 charge by the Quakers. The third relay member to win an individual event was Feldman in the 50 free (20.83). His time remained consistent with the 20.80 that he clocked in on Saturday.

Villanova junior Charlie Hinckley was the only male athlete to win multiple individual events at the dual meet. He began the session with a win in the 1000 free (9:35.43) and followed up with another first-place finish in the 200 back (1:54.05). Hinckley was only slightly ahead of Penn freshman Nicholas Grulke at the 450-yard mark but turned on the jets for the final 50, splitting a 25.02 to Grulke’s 28.10. Hinckley demonstrated his impressive closing speed again in the 200 back when he went from 29.33 on the third 50 to 27.67 on the final 50, nearly matching his first 50’s split 27.24.

The Villanova 400 free relay of freshmen Gavin Jones (48.38), Henry Gingrich (47.13), Mikey Thurk (47.00) and sophomore Patrick Hemingway (47.12) combined for a time of 3:09.63 for the official win, though Penn had two teams clock 3:07 that were scored as exhibition.

On the women’s side, Penn had two swimmers win multiple individual events, and freshman diver Sadie Howard won the 1-meter (307.80) and 3-meter (273.98).

First, sophomore Joy Jiang claimed victories in the 200 fly (2:01.64) and 200 back (2:06.08). Jiang was slightly faster in the 200 fly after her Saturday performance (2:01.69) and improved her 200 back time by almost a second and a half.

Freshman Abigail Wickersham won the sprint free events, going 24.27 in the 50 free and 52.29 in the 100 free. Wickersham set a new season-best in the 100 free by almost half a second and now holds the top time on the team.

The Penn 200 medley relay of freshman Amber Smith (27.24), sophomore Keara McGowan (29.90), sophomore Vanessa Chong (25.01), and Wickersham (23.71) touched out Villanova by two-tenths of a second.

Villanova freshman Winnie Jalet was the team’s sole multi-event winner, taking first in the 100 breast (1:05.07) and 200 breast (2:20.79). Jalet came back strong on the final 50 of the 100 to overtake Penn sophomore Isabella Pytel (1:05.59). The two went head-to-head again in the 200 breast. Jalet out split Pytel on the final 50 to win by almost three-tenths of a second.

The Villanova 400 free relay of junior Cara Stapleton, sophomore Lainey Quinones, junior Lexi Elkovitch, and senior Perri Stahl grabbed the final win, finishing ahead of Penn by a second and a half.

Other Event Winners

• Women’s 1000 free: Anna Sofia Kalandadze (Penn) – 10:13.44
• Women’s 200 free: Anna Moehn (Penn) – 1:53.80
• Men’s 200 free: Truman Armstrong (Penn) – 1:40.97
• Women’s 100 back: Audrey Pastorek (Villanova) – 57.44
• Men’s 100 back: Daniel Gallagher (Penn) – 50.80
• Men’s 100 free: Andrew Dai (Penn) – 47.36
• Men’s 200 breast: Neo Matsuyama (Penn) – 2:06.03
• Women’s 500 free: Catherine Buroker (Penn) – 4:59.61
• Women’s 100 fly: Vanessa Chong (Penn) – 56.35
• Men’s 100 fly: Ryan Maher (Villanova) – 52.19
• Women’s 400 IM: Kaitlin Gravell (Villanova) – 4:26.89
• Men’s 400 IM: Aubrey Bowles (Villanova) – 4:16.50

Diving Winners

• Women’s 1-meter: Sadie Howard (Penn) – 307.80
• Men’s 1-meter: Cody Hopkins (Penn) – 324.75
• Women’s 3-meter: Sadie Howard (Penn) – 273.98
• Men’s 3-meter: Jack Williams (Penn) – 299.48