FSU Wins First ACC Dual Meet Since 2013-14 With Victory Over Pitt

FLORIDA STATE VS. PITTSBURGH VS. DENISON

  • Results
  • Hosted by
  • Saturday, January 14th
  • 25 yards
  • Dual meet format

FINAL TEAM SCORES:

  • MEN- Florida State 191, Pitt 109
  • WOMEN- Florida State 193, Pitt 107

The Florida State Seminoles have been on the rise with new Head Coach Neal Studd, and they’ve continued to improve into the 2017 portion of this season. The Florida State men and women both picked up dual meet victories over ACC rival Pittsburgh this weekend. Before this weekend, neither squad had won an ACC dual meet since the 2013-14 season.

Senior Lydia Ware was a key player for Florida State, recording 2 wins and a 2nd place finish in her 3 individual events. She first dominated the 200 free, winning by nearly 3 seconds with her 1:50.77. Ware returned to the pool for the 50 free, nearly cracking 23 seconds to win in 23.04 ahead of teammate Lexi Smith (23.56).

Ware’s 2nd place finish came in the 100 fly, where she touched in 55.61 in a 1-2-3 finish with teammate Leila Johnston, who won in 55.36, and Tayla Lovemore (56.01). Lovemore won the 200 fly earlier in the session, with her winning time of 2:03.94 topping the field by over 3 seconds.

Connor Kalisz and Jason Coombs swept their stroke specialties to help the FSU men to victory. Kalisz took control of the backstroke races, posting a 48.76 to win the 100 back and a 1:48.44 to win the 200 back.Coombs, on the other hand, took on the breaststroke events. His winning time of 54.76 was over 1.5 seconds ahead of the 100 breast field. He followed that up with another dominant win with a 2:00.75 in the 200 breast.

Florida State’ Chad Mylin posted a highlight swim in the 50 free, winning with a blistering 19.69. That’s just 2 tenths shy of the 19.49 he swam at the UGA Fall Invite, and a very fast time for a dual meet. His fastest dual meet performance before this meet was a 19.94 from October.

Despite the team loss, midseason addition Eben Vorster continud to shine for the Panthers. Vorster showcased his back half speed to win the 200 fly in 1:49.25 over FSU’s Max Polianski (1:49.52). He also won the 400 IM with a quick 3:58.11.

Amanda Richey pulled off a successful triple for the Pitt women, taking on all 3 distance races at the meet. She swept the distance freestyles, posting the only sub-5:00 in the 500 free to win in 4:57.93 and a 10:01.63 to win the 1000 free by 10 seconds. Her final race came in the women’s 400 IM, where she posted a 4:24.44 to outpace FSU’s Caroline Neil (4:27.95).

PRESS RELEASE – FLORIDA STATE

PITTSBURGH, Pa.  – Despite the cool temperatures outside, the Florida State swimming and diving teams were on fire at Trees Hall, winning 22 of the 32 events as both squads defeated Pitt on Saturday.

The No. 18 men (2-1, 1-0 ACC) won 191-109, while the No. 24 women (4-1, 1-0 ACC) took down the Panthers 193-107.

The victories on Saturday end a combined skid of 0-12 in ACC duals for the Seminoles. The previous conference win for the women was over Miami on Jan. 31, 2014, while the men defeated NC State and Georgia Tech that same season on Oct.25, 2013.

“I’m really happy with how we performed today,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “It’s been awhile since FSU has won a meet in conference, and I am proud our teams were able to take care of business today.”

Florida State showed its depth in the sprint relays by placing first and second in both the men’s and women’s 200 medley and free races.

The team of juniors Ariel Barber and Natalie Pierce along with sophomore Leila Johnston and junior Lexi Smith started the session off by winning the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:40.53, while sophomore Fabiana Ingram, junior Christina Loh, freshman Paige Schendelaar-Kemp and freshman Nika Blank held off Pitt’s ‘A’ team to place second with a mark of 1:44.03.

After Pitt took the 1000 free, the women won the next six events starting with senior Lydia Ware in the 200 free, who clocked a time of 1:50.77. Her classmate, Katy Stringfield followed in second at 1:53.06.

Barber added a victory in the 100 back (56.15), while the duo of Pierce (1:02.50) and Loh (1:03.21) provided a one-two punch in the 100 breast.

Junior Taylor Lovemore continued the stretch with a victory in the 200 fly with a time of 2:03.94 while freshman Macie Beairsto made her debut with a second place showing, touching at 2:07.28.

Ware produced her second win of the day in the 50 free with a time of 23.04, touching ahead of Smith who was second (23.56).

Following the break, Smith won the battle in the 100 free, touching with a time of 51.58.

The Seminoles surrendered a sweep in the 200 back, however Loh answered by holding off Kinga Cichowska (2:16.77) for a win in the 200 breast with a time of 2:16.44.

Johnston picked up her first individual win of the season by leading the sweep of the 100 fly with a time of 55.36. Ware (55.61) and Lovemore (56.01) followed in second and third respectively.

The squad of Smith, Blank, Lovemore and Ware ended the meet with a huge win in the 200 free relay, touching with a time of 1:32.59 ahead of their teammates, Ingram, Johnston, Barber and junior Brenna Ruth (1:35.34) who was second.

The men’s team also opened with a one-two start in the 200 medley relay as the team of seniors Stefan Stojmenovic and Jason Coombs, along with sophomore Kanoa Kaleoaloha and junior Chad Mylin posted a time of 1:28.64 ahead of junior Connor Kalisz, junior Rafa van Leeuwaarde, freshman Vlad Stefanik and senior Jason McCormick (1:31.28) who were second.

Kaleoaloha led the way in the 200 free, clocking 1:38.50 before Kalisz (48.76) and Stojmenovic (49.17) added the one-two punch in the 100 back.

The Seminoles kept up the momentum as Coombs led the charge in the 100 breast, touching with a time of 54.76, which was almost two seconds faster than van Leeuwarde, who was second at 56.36.

Mylin dominated the 50 free, winning with a time of 19.69, ahead of McCormick who was second at 20.42.  Following the break, the Seminoles swept the 100 free as McCormick led the way with a time of 44.83, just ahead of sophomore Emir Muratovic (44.86) and Mylin (45.13).

Kalisz added another win for the day in the 200 back (1:48.44) and Coombs also picked up his second victory in 200 breast (2:00.75).

Junior Calvin Bryant followed with a win in the 500 free, touching with a time of 4:32.81.

In the final event of the day, the Seminoles finished first and second in the 200 free relay. The team of McCormick, Kaleoaloha, Muratovic and Mylin led with a time of 1:20.90 while Stefanik, sophomore Will Pisani, senior Jemal LeGrand and junior Joe Plechy held off Pitt’s ‘A’ team for second place at 1:23.38.

The diving portion of the meet took place on Friday night as freshman Ayla Bonniwell took home a victory on 1-meter by a score of 288.60, just seven one-hundredths of a point ahead of Meme Sharp of Pitt.  Junior Blaire Mulka finished third (263.63), while sophomore Cassidy Gebhart was fourth (262.20).

On 3-meter, Gebhart was second by five points (299.50) while freshman Molly Carlson was third (280.88) and Bonniwell was fourth (270.30).

Junior Tyler Roberge finish second in both diving events with scores of 313.80 on 1-meter and 331.05 on 3-meter. Freshman Aidan Faminoff was third on 1-meter (295.40) while senior Dylan Grisell (329.03) was third on 3-meter.

The Seminoles will head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on Alabama on Jan. 21 at 10 a.m.  For more information, visit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PRESS RELEASE – PITT

PITTSBURGH—The Pitt swimming & diving teams were both defeated by Florida State’s top-25 ranked squads on Saturday as the Panthers and Seminoles completed their ACC meet with a full schedule of swimming events at Trees Pool.

The Pitt men (3-5, 1-5 ACC) were downed by the No. 18 Seminoles, 191-109, while the Panthers’ women’s team (4-4, 2-4 ACC) fell to No. 24 Florida State, 193-107. Denison, who was previously scheduled to also appear at the meet, did not compete due to concerns over incoming weather.

After winning three of Friday’s four diving events, Pitt’s two swimming teams combined to win seven swimming events on Saturday against Florida State, led by three individual victories by junior Amanda Richey and a pair of wins by freshman mid-year addition Eben Vorster.

“The ACC is a great swimming conference and Florida State is traditionally one of the top teams in this league, so we knew today would be a challenge,” Pitt head coach John Hargis said after the meet. “But Amanda once again proved that she is one of the best distance swimmers in the country. She separated herself today and will continue getting ready for ACCs and NCAAs. And Eben did well despite being a little under the weather today. The kid hates to lose. It’s going to be amazing to watch what he can accomplish over the rest of his Pitt career.”

Richey’s trio of triumphs came in the 1000 free (10:01.67), the 500 free (4:57.93) and the 400 IM (4:24.44) as she won each race with seconds to spare over Florida State’s top distance swimmers.

After being named ACC Swimmer of the Week for his winning performance against West Virginia last Saturday at Trees Pool, Vorster continued his winning ways with victorious swims in the 200 fly (1:49.25) and the 400 IM (3:58.11). He also took fourth in the 100 fly with a time of 49.86 and swam for Pitt’s top 200 medley relay team.

Also winning races for the Panthers were sophomore Aaron Sett in the 1000 free (9:25.23) and freshman Valerie Daigneault in the 200 back (2:01.08), an event that Pitt took the top-three places in to earn a significant team points haul.

The Panthers are back in action on the road next weekend as the Pitt swimming & diving teams take on Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday for a meet scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

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About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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