The Quakers traveled to the Graham Natatorium at West Chester University on Friday night to swim against the Golden Rams in a non-conference dual meet. Both teams used the weekend as a final tune-up before their respective upcoming conference championships. Full meet results.
UPenn dominated the meet, winning all but four events on both the women’s and men’s side. The women (Madeleine Jardeleza, Lia Lombardi, Laine Higgins, and Bernadette D’Alonzo) began with a 1:50.59 in the 200 medley relay, while the Quaker men (Philip Hu, Kyle Yu, Michael Wen, and Eric Schultz) were 1:30.79 to win their race.
In the women’s meet, West Chester freshman Claudia Owczarz was a double-event winner, going 58.25 in the 100 back and 2:09.78 in the 200 back. Penn freshman Sydney Tan also took home a pair of victories: she went 1:06.50 in the 100 breast to just edge Kendall Somer of WCU (1:06.82); later she added a 2:20.86 in the 200 breast, 4.4 seconds in front of Somer. Penn senior Irene Katopodis took the title in both sprints: she went 24.37 in the 50 and 53.35 in the 100 free. Freshman Kimberly Phan (24.51) was second in the 50, while Tess Hayward of WCU was third (24.92) in the 50 and second (54.00) in the 100. Hayward was also second in the 200 (1:57.41) to Morgan Scott of Penn (1:54.80).
West Chester senior Somer got the win in the 1000 free with 10:37.11; Penn freshman Madi Dirks was two body lengths back at 10:42.30. Penn’s Madeleine Jardeleza won the 100 fly (59.37), while teammate Annie Tran claimed the 200 fly (2:09.51).
Penn freshman Alex Peterson won both the 1000 free (9:24.79) and 500 free (4:38.37); Jared Haley of West Chester was .18 behind in the 500 for second place, and 12 seconds back for fourth in the 1000. Quaker junior Eric Schultz won the 50 free (20.80) and 100 free (45.95) ahead of WCU’s Evan Sherkness (21.16) and Penn’s Dillon McHugh (46.17), respectively. The other double winner was the Golden Rams’ Victor Polyakov, who finished first in both the 200 free (1:40.27) and 200 IM (1:52.64).
The Quakers swept the back, breast and fly events. Freshman CJ Schaffer edged teammate Hu in the 100 back, 51.41 to 51.44, while junior Brian Foley took the 200 in 1:52.09. Yu won the 100 breast in 55.93 ahead of teammate Cole Hurwitz (57.22) and WCU’s Mike Oliver (57.62). Hurwitz touched out Oliver in the 200, 2:03.74 to 2:03.96. In the 100 fly, Penn’s Wen was victorious in 50.01; freshman teammate Hunter Brakovec cruised to a 1:51.83 win over Eric Long of WCU (1:53.39) in the 200.
The Penn women exhibitioned the 200 free relay but West Chester won it anyway: Owczarz, Emily Stang, Hayward, and Morgan Haney went 1:39.52 to Penn’s 1:41.41. The Quaker men won their 200 free relay by .03. Johnny Germanis, Zach Fisher, Su, and touched in 1:25.04, while Nathan Smith, Evan Sherkness, Dan Sokman, and Bradley Strathmeyer went 1:25.07 to close the meet for the Golden Rams.
Final Scores – Women
University of Pennsylvania 187 – 107 West Chester University
Final Scores – Men
University of Pennsylvania 172 – 122 West Chester University
