Pitt Downs Penn State in Two-Day Dual, Women’s First Win Over Penn State at Home in 36 Years

Pitt v. Penn State

• October 24-25, 2025
• Trees Pool, Pittsburgh, PA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results
• Final Scores:
  • Women – Pitt: 218, Penn State: 77
  • Men – Pitt: 182.5, Penn State: 115

The University of Pittsburgh swimming and diving teams swept in-state counterparts Penn State in Pittsburgh. The Panther women defeated the Nittany Lions in a home contest for the first time since the 1988–89 season, winning 218-77. The men followed, topping Penn State 182.5-115.

Women’s Recap

Pitt opened with an early win in the 200 medley relay, where Sydney Gring (24.43), Jessica Strong (28.19), Avery Hafele (24.68), and Mary Clarke (21.88) finished in 1:39.18 to open up the scoring for the Panthers.

Senior Avery Kudlac led the charge for Pitt, sweeping the sprint free titles; winning the 50 freestyle (22.40), and 100 free (49.13), and 200 free (1:46.42). Her 50 free marked her fastest performance of her career.

Senior Claire Jansen swept the backstroke events with times of 51.92 (season best time) and 1:55.68 in the 100 back and 200 back, respectively.

Senior Angelina Messina mirrored Jansen by taking both breaststroke events or the Panthers, posting a lifetime best 1:01.96 in the 100 breast, later taking the 200 in 2:14.80, slower than her best of 2:13.79, but faster than her swim from ACCs last season of 2:15.17.

Pitt sophomore Kimmy Shannon swam to a pair of wins of her own, winning the 500 free (4:48.46) and swimming a lifetime best in the 200 IM (1:59.28). Her 500 free was just a second and a half off of her best time of 4:46.96 from November of last year.

Pitt closed out the meet with a pool record in the 400 free relay, as Kudlac (48.97), Gring (48.49), Jansen (48.70), and Clarke (49.75) stopped the clock at 3:14.91 to cap off the 36 year home winning drought against the Nittany Lions.

Penn State’s women still produced some standout swims. Senior Morgan Moore delivered the team’s lone event win, taking the 1000 freestyle in 9:51.67, marking her fastest time of the season. Later adding a runner-up finish in the 500 free (4:48.50) for another season best.

Senior Catherine Meisner finished runner-up in both the 200 free (1:47.22) and 200 IM (2:03.35).

Sophomores Katie Ketter and Audrey Cohen each turned in additional 2nd-place finishes; Keller clocked a best time of 50.45 in the 100 free, and Cohen stopped the clock in 2:16.21 in the 200 breast.

Men’s Recap

The Panther men opened with a win in the 200 medley relay; Mason Leach (21.92), Eli Hobson (23.49), Alan Vergine (21.10), and Donat Fabian (19.64) clocked 1:26.15.

Sophomore Julian Koch led the way with a trio of individual wins, sweeping the 50 free (19.20), 100 free (41.85), and 100 butterfly (46.66), swimming a lifetime best in all three races.

Koch was followed by a pair of his Pitt teammates in the 100 fly; the freshman Vergine finished 2nd in 46.72, and freshman Georg Filippov rounded out the top three in 47.51.

Vergine added two more victories of his own, highlighted by a personal best 1:42.49 in the 200 butterfly that broke both a program and pool record. Additionally, he nabbed the 200 IM win by over a second in 1:46.80.

Pitt freshman James Allison turned in the only sub-1:36 swim in the 200 free, clocking 1:35.59.

The Panthers closed out the meet with Koch (42.26), Allsion (43.58), Filippov (44.27), and Fabian taking down the Nittany Lions in the 400 free relay by nearly a full second in 2:55.29.

For Penn State, senior Cooper Morley swept the backstroke races, taking the 100 back in 46.51 and the 200 back in a season-best effort of 1:45.19.

Penn State senior Eduardo Cisternas took two wins on the meet for the Nittany Lions, winning the 1000 free in 9:07.06, he later nabbed another  win in the 500 free, clocking 4:22.53, winning the event by over three seconds.

Senior Mariano Lazzerini captured both breaststroke events with times of 52.56 in the 100 breast and 1:53.41 in the 200 breast.