UVA Men’s and Women’s Teams Win Over Pitt in Season-Opener

MEET STATS

• Complete results
• Hosted by Virginia (Aquatic & Fitness Center)
• October 21, 2016
• Pool length: 25 yards
• Team’s Record: (UVA Men 1-0), (UVA Women 1-0); (Pitt Men 1-2), (Pitt Women 1-2)

RECAP

The Virginia men’s and women’s teams won their season opener comfortably over the University of Pittsburgh today, with each team’s margin of victory totaling nearly 80 points. Both Virginia teams swam the last two events (400 IM, 200 free relay) as exhibition.

Women

Olympic Gold Medalist Leah Smith returned to the pool for the first time since picking up her new hardware in Rio. She demonstrated top form with wins in the 500 free (4:39.24) and 1,000 free (9:23.79). The former swim she won by nearly 16 seconds over teammate Cece Williams, and the latter swim she won by nearly 40 seconds, again over second place finisher Williams. Both of Smith’s swims were new pool records.

The Virginia women’s team, as a whole, put on a dominant performance. The Cavaliers won every single swimming event. Jenn Marrkand led the way in individual wins with three: 200 free (1:47.74), 200 back (1:57.86) and 400 IM (4:17.29). In addition to Smith, other two-time individual event winners included Laura Simon in the 100 (1:01.13) and 200 breast (2:13.14), Ellen Thomas in the 50 (23.09) and 100 free (50.12), and Kaitlyn Jones in the 100 back (55.89) and 100 fly (54.28).

Pitt registered their individual wins in diving—Meme Sharp won both the 1-meter and 3-meter. The Lady Panthers also went 2-3 in both the 100 and 200 back races. In the 100, Valerie Daigneault was second (56.16) and Shannon Hochkeppel was third (56.96). In the 200, Daigneault was again second (1:58.84) and Hochkeppel was third (2:02.96).

Men

The Virginia men relied on their young swimmers to make quick work of the Pitt Panthers. Sophomore Zach Fong, although listed as just 18 years old, had the most impressive win in the men’s meet. He took home the 200 fly victory in a swift 1:45.72, winning by more than 4 seconds. Fong followed that up with a win in the 100 fly (48.35).

Other double winners for the Cavalier men included Austin Quinn in the 200 free (1:39.23) and 200 back (1:48.47), Alex Albracht in the 100 (56.60) and 200 breast (2:03.67), and Sam Magnan in the 500 (4:30.23) and the 1,000 free (9:14.60). Interestingly, Leah Smith‘s time in the 1,000 free, had she competed against the men, would have ranked second only to Magnan.

Freshman Ted Schubert, a Virginia native, closed out the individual competition with his first win as a Cavalier in the 400 IM (3:55.54).

Like in the women’s meet, the Pitt men excelled in the backstroke and diving events. Henrique Machado won the 100 back (49.34) over Schubert (49.60), and Dominic Giordano won the 1-meter and 3-meter diving.

Up next, Virginia will host a tri meet with Michigan and Penn State on November 4th and 5th. Pitt’s follow-up meet will be next Friday, October 28th, when it hosts Buffalo in its home opener.

PRESS RELEASES

Courtesy of Virginia Athletics:

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams swept Pitt in their season opener Friday (Oct. 21) at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Cavalier women (1-0) were victorious, 187-108, while the UVA men won, 186.5-108.5. Overall, the Cavaliers touched first in 27 of the 28 swimming events.

“I am very pleased with the effort on both sides today,” UVA head coach Augie Busch said. “I would say the majority of our swims were lifetime [dual-meet] bests which is pretty awesome. Michigan and Penn State will present a much stiffer challenge in two weeks and we must get back to work and clean up several details if we are going to be as competitive as we want to be.”

Senior Leah Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) highlighted the action, breaking two AFC pool records in her two individual events. Smith first broke the women’s 1,000-yard freestyle mark in 9:23.79, 10 seconds faster than her previous record. She followed that up with a new pool record in the 500 free in 4:39.25.

Junior Jennifer Marrkand (Westford, Mass.) finished first in three events, including the women’s 200 free (1:47.74), 200 backstroke (1:57.86) and 400 IM (4:17.29). Senior Austin Quinn (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) took first in the men’s 200 free (1:39.23) and 200 back (1:48.47).

The Cavaliers swept the breaststroke events with senior Laura Simon (Simmern, Germany) winning the women’s 100 (1:01.13) and 200 (2:13.14) and sophomore Alex Albracht (Mission Hills, Kan.) won the men’s 100 (56.60) and 200 (2:03.67).

Other multiple-event winners included senior Kaitlyn Jones (Newark, Del.) in the women’s 100 back (55.89) and 100 fly (54.28), senior Ellen Thomas (Guildford, United Kingdom) in the women’s 50 free (23.09) and 100 free (50.12), sophomore Zach Fong (Moorestown, N.J.) in the men’s 100 fly (48.35) and 200 fly (1:45.72), sophomore Sam Magnan (Bethlehem, Pa.) in the men’s 500 free (4:30.23) and the 1,000 free (9:14.60),

In the men’s 50 free, senior Matt Lockman (Charlottesville, Va.) was first in 20.45, while freshman John Whiteside (Fairfield, Conn.) touched first in the 100 free in 45.26. Sophomore Peyton Baldwin (Newport News, Va.) captured the women’s 200 fly in 2:02.28. Freshman Ted Schubert (Ashland, Va.) won the men’s 400 IM in the final individual event of the day in 3:55.54.

Virginia also won all four relays including the women’s 200 medley relay (1:40.25) and 200 free relay (1:33.08) and the men’s 200 medley relay (1:29.70) and 200 free relay (1:22.39).

In diving, freshman Bryce Shelton (Vienna, Va.) placed second on men’s 3-meter with a score of 380.32, third on UVA’s all-time list. Shelton was also second on 1-meter with a score of 329.70. On the women’s side, freshman Sydney Dusel (Naperville, Ill.) finished second on 1-meter with a score of 264.75 points, while sophomore Kylie Towbin (New Canaan, Conn.) was second on 3-meter with 282.15 points.

“I was really happy with the divers today,” UVA head diving coach Jason Glorius said. “The men were solid on both boards. The women, who are traditionally weaker on 1-meter, had a great 1-meter event, so that is encouraging. We did a nice job of focusing on the process so the results will be there when we need them to be.”

The Cavaliers return to action Nov. 4-5 when they host Michigan and Penn State in a two-day double-dual meet.

Courtesy of Pitt Athletics:

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Pitt swimming & diving teams were both defeated by perennial Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia on Friday evening at the UVA Acquatic Center.

Both dual meets finished with similar scores as the Pitt men (1-2, 1-2 ACC) were bested by the Cavaliers (1-0, 1-0 ACC) by a score of 186.5-108.5 while the Pitt women (2-1, 2-1 ACC) were downed by Virginia’s nine-time defending ACC championship-winning women (1-0, 1-0 ACC) by a margin of 187-108.

Pitt head coach John Hargis praised Virginia but also thought his Panthers showed significant improvement in their second competitive meet of the 2016-17 campaign.

“Give credit to Virginia. They’re really, really good. I’d be surprised if anyone stops their women from winning another ACC title this season,” Hargis said. “But I was proud of the way we competed. We were better than our first meet, which is what we as coaches wanted to see. We’ll watch some film, work on our technique and aim to keep improving going forward.”

Competing against Virginia’s talented team, which includes 2016 Summer Olympics gold and bronze medalist distance freestyle swimmer Leah Smith, Pitt pulled off nine victories out of 32 events. Henrique Machado (100 back), Amanda Richey (400 IM),Zach Lierley (400 IM), Meme Sharp (1-meter diving, 3-meter diving), Dominic Giordano (1-meter diving, 3-meter diving) and both 200 free relay teams emerged with event wins.

Next up for Pitt will be the team’s 2016-17 home opener and Coach Hargis’ first competitive meet at Trees Pool as the Panthers host Buffalo next Friday night for a meet starting at 4 p.m.

“We’re really looking forward to competing at home in front of our fans,” Hargis added. “We’ll need to be ready to face a talented Buffalo team next Friday night.”

AB