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Strong Swims Highlight Tennessee Invite Finale
November 22, 2015 10:02 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Seniors Andrew Marsh and Max Spencer earned top-five finishes as the West Virginia University swimming and diving team concluded the Tennessee Invitational on Sunday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Mountaineers wrapped up the four team, three day event with strong swims, including Marsh’s fourth appearance in an A final.
“We had a strong day to finish up a very strong meet for us,” WVU coach Vic Riggs said. “Our milers started us off with some good efforts, including Emma Skelley’s personal-best time. Our backstrokers all had unrested best times, and Nate Carr swam a lifetime best. In the 100 freestyle, Jaimee Gillmore and Andrew Marsh led the way with unrested best times as well. Morgan Emter and Max Spencer led our breaststrokers with swims just off their lifetime bests. We finished with our 200 butterfly, and again some very strong swims, with Mariano Adame earning a personal-best time. Our relays were solid, and we know they will get better with rest.
“Overall we had a very strong meet with many swims close to where we were at last year’s Big 12 Championship. The teams have done a great job this fall, and now it’s time to build on this for the next phase of our season.”
Both the WVU men and women finished in fourth place at the three-day invitational. The men scored a 520.5, while the women earned 382 points. Missouri won the men’s competition with a 1,283.5, while Tennessee was second (923) and Virginia Tech third (849.5). Tennessee claimed first in the women’s standings with 1,214.5 points, and Virginia Tech and Missouri tied with 946.5 points.
The morning prelims were competed in long-course meters, while the evening finals were raced in short-course yards.
Marsh earned his fourth A final appearance of the weekend in the 100 freestyle. The senior finished third overall with a time of 44.17, one of six to finish within one second of the bronze medal finish.
Spencer joined Marsh in earning A final honors. The senior advanced to the A final in the 200 breaststroke and finished fifth overall with a time of 1:58.39.
Emma Skelley began the evening finals with a sixth-place finish in the 1,650 freestyle. The junior touched the wall with a personal-best time of 16:32.25 to finish in the top six by nearly 16 seconds. In the men’s 1,650, freshman Lucas Fasulo also finished sixth with a 15:44.48, edging out the seventh-place finisher by 2.58 seconds.
The WVU women divers wrapped up the weekend on platform. Freshman Averly Hobbs highlighted the day with a seventh-place finish with a score of 185.50. She was joined in the top 10 by freshman Mary Smith, who posted a 179.05.
Sophomore diver Alex Obendorf headlined the WVU men on platform and scored a 297.95 to finish ninth.
In the men’s 200 backstroke, Carr led the way with a personal-best 1:47.49 to finish 11th overall after a 2:10.62 long-course time sent him to the B final. Senior Jay Hickey also qualified for the B final and touched the wall in 1:51.08.
For the women in the 200 backstroke, sophomore Amelia Currat and freshman Maggie Miller both advanced to the B final. Currat finished 14th overall with a time of 2:01.91, while Miller finished 16th with a 2:02.75, both with season-best times.
In the women’s 200 breaststroke, senior Morgan Emter was one of four Mountaineers in the B final and finished second in the B final, 10th overall with a 2:19.30, just shy of a personal-best time. Freshman Marah Bieger was 11th overall with a 2:19.86, while sophomore Loren Williams placed 14th with a 2:24.42, and senior Emma Luigard posted a 2:27.90 to finish 15th.
Along with Spencer’s A final appearance in the men’s 200 breaststroke, senior Aidan Fumagalli advanced to the B final, where a 2:03.56 was good for a 14th-place finish.
Four Mountaineers advanced to the B final in the women’s 200 butterfly, led by senior Natalie Johnsen. Johnsen touched the wall in 2:02.98 to finish 12th overall, right ahead of fellow senior Kelsey Frantz, who was 13th in 2:04.27. Freshman Madison Noga was 15th overall with a 2:06.63, while junior Mackenzie Braden touched the wall in 2:07.44 to finish 16th.
The WVU men also saw four swimmers earn B final appearances in the 200 butterfly. Senior Chase Williams led the way with a time of 1:50.98 to finish second in the B final and 10th overall. Adame’s personal-best 1:51.37 earned him an 11th-place finish overall, while junior Nathan Howells was 12th and touched the wall in 1:51.45. Freshman Drew Damich rounded out the B final for WVU with a 1:56.39 to finish 16th.
The weekend concluded with the 400 freestyle relay. WVU’s top men’s team of Marsh, Merwane Elmerini, Carr and Ross Glegg earned a fourth-place finish with a time of 2:58.36. For the women, a 3:28.11 earned the Mountaineers a seventh-place finish, thanks to Sydnee Karam, Celia Martinez, Currat and Gillmore.
The Mountaineers will travel to compete at the USA Swimming Winter Nationals, in Federal Way, Washington, from Dec. 2-5, while the divers compete at the USA Diving Winter Nationals from Dec. 15-20 in Indianapolis in the final competition before the New Year.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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