Friday, October 12
Huntington, W.Va.
6:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
West Virginia State Games
WVU Starts Fast at State Games
October 12, 2018 09:16 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University swimming and diving teams began the 2018-19 regular season in a big way on the opening night of the West Virginia State Games on Friday night in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Mountaineers combined to win all 12 events at Marshall's Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium, helping the men's and women's squads jump out to early leads in the two-day competition.
The eighth-annual event features a competition between collegiate swimming and diving programs from across the state of West Virginia. This year, Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, Marshall, Salem, WVU Tech and West Virginia Wesleyan have joined the Mountaineers.
WVU earned 559 points on the men's side on Friday, good for a 416-point lead over second-place West Virginia Wesleyan (143). For the women, the Mountaineers scored 475.5 points, ahead of second-place Marshall, which scored 358.5 points on Friday.
"It was a very solid team start tonight," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "We raced smart and had great energy. The women broke a pool record in the 400 medley relay, and I thought our women's 500 freestylers did a great job splitting their races. Our individual medleys were strong and Julia (Nilton) had a great 50 freestyle."
Seniors Merwane El Merini and Julia Nilton, junior Morgan Bullock and sophomore David Dixon all led the Mountaineers with three wins apiece on Friday. All four swimmers were a part of two winning relay teams and added an individual victory.
WVU opened Friday's meet with a win in the women's 200 freestyle relay, where Nilton, sophomore Julia Miranda, Bullock and freshman Lauryn Kallay combined to finish in 1:35.63. On the men's side, the team of El Merini, senior Drew Damich, junior Sam Neaveill and Dixon took first place in 1:23.61.
Kallay went on to win her first career individual race in the women's 500 freestyle. The Chesterton, Indiana, native touched the wall in 5:05.82. WVU tallied the first five finishers in the event, which included a second-place finish for junior Alex Pampalone (5:08.59) and a third-place showing by sophomore Luisa Winkler (5:10.39).
On the men's side, sophomore Max Gustafson led a 1-2-3 West Virginia finish in 4:37.75. Juniors Trayton Saladin (4:40.66) and Brandon Christian (4:42.53) took second and third, respectively.
In the 200 individual medleys, Bullock, who owns the WVU school record in the event, earned her second win of the night with a 2:05.36. Dixon also registered his second win for the men in 1:51.23. The Mountaineers held the top seven places in the event, as sophomore Philip Kay (1:53.36) placed second, while sophomore Ben Brooks (1:55.38) took third.
Nilton won the women's 50 freestyle for her second overall and first individual win of the night, touching the wall in 23.37. Miranda was second in 24.31, while Kallay rounded out a 1-2-3 finish for the Mountaineers in 24.80.
El Merini took the men's race, finishing in 20.98, ahead of teammates Damich (21.46) and Neaveill (21.71), as WVU claimed the top six finishes.
On springboard, senior Averly Hobbs opened the campaign with a win in the women's 3-meter. Hobbs tallied a score of 270.75 in the event, while senior Madelyn Woods placed third with a score of 235.40.
Freshman Nick Cover won the men's 1-meter in his Mountaineer debut, registering a score of 317.55 as WVU claimed the top four spots. Cover finished ahead of redshirt sophomore Jacob Cardinal Tremblay, who placed second with a 285.40, and fellow freshman P.J. Lenz, who took third with a score of 272.55.
The West Virginia State Games' opening session closed with the 400 medley relays. The WVU women's team, comprised of Miranda, senior Emma Harris, Bullock and Nilton, placed first in 3:47.85, while the men's team, led by sophomore Angelo Russo, redshirt senior Tristen Di Sibio, Dixon and El Merini, clocked in at 3:18.33 for first place.
The Mountaineer men's team has never lost at the West Virginia State Games in its seven-year history, while the women's team has won six of the seven overall competitions.
Marshall is hosting the event for the fourth time and first since 2016. WVU also has hosted the meet four times, most recently last season.
The meet concludes on Saturday with sessions set to begin at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Mountaineers combined to win all 12 events at Marshall's Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium, helping the men's and women's squads jump out to early leads in the two-day competition.
The eighth-annual event features a competition between collegiate swimming and diving programs from across the state of West Virginia. This year, Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, Marshall, Salem, WVU Tech and West Virginia Wesleyan have joined the Mountaineers.
WVU earned 559 points on the men's side on Friday, good for a 416-point lead over second-place West Virginia Wesleyan (143). For the women, the Mountaineers scored 475.5 points, ahead of second-place Marshall, which scored 358.5 points on Friday.
"It was a very solid team start tonight," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "We raced smart and had great energy. The women broke a pool record in the 400 medley relay, and I thought our women's 500 freestylers did a great job splitting their races. Our individual medleys were strong and Julia (Nilton) had a great 50 freestyle."
Seniors Merwane El Merini and Julia Nilton, junior Morgan Bullock and sophomore David Dixon all led the Mountaineers with three wins apiece on Friday. All four swimmers were a part of two winning relay teams and added an individual victory.
WVU opened Friday's meet with a win in the women's 200 freestyle relay, where Nilton, sophomore Julia Miranda, Bullock and freshman Lauryn Kallay combined to finish in 1:35.63. On the men's side, the team of El Merini, senior Drew Damich, junior Sam Neaveill and Dixon took first place in 1:23.61.
Kallay went on to win her first career individual race in the women's 500 freestyle. The Chesterton, Indiana, native touched the wall in 5:05.82. WVU tallied the first five finishers in the event, which included a second-place finish for junior Alex Pampalone (5:08.59) and a third-place showing by sophomore Luisa Winkler (5:10.39).
On the men's side, sophomore Max Gustafson led a 1-2-3 West Virginia finish in 4:37.75. Juniors Trayton Saladin (4:40.66) and Brandon Christian (4:42.53) took second and third, respectively.
In the 200 individual medleys, Bullock, who owns the WVU school record in the event, earned her second win of the night with a 2:05.36. Dixon also registered his second win for the men in 1:51.23. The Mountaineers held the top seven places in the event, as sophomore Philip Kay (1:53.36) placed second, while sophomore Ben Brooks (1:55.38) took third.
Nilton won the women's 50 freestyle for her second overall and first individual win of the night, touching the wall in 23.37. Miranda was second in 24.31, while Kallay rounded out a 1-2-3 finish for the Mountaineers in 24.80.
El Merini took the men's race, finishing in 20.98, ahead of teammates Damich (21.46) and Neaveill (21.71), as WVU claimed the top six finishes.
On springboard, senior Averly Hobbs opened the campaign with a win in the women's 3-meter. Hobbs tallied a score of 270.75 in the event, while senior Madelyn Woods placed third with a score of 235.40.
Freshman Nick Cover won the men's 1-meter in his Mountaineer debut, registering a score of 317.55 as WVU claimed the top four spots. Cover finished ahead of redshirt sophomore Jacob Cardinal Tremblay, who placed second with a 285.40, and fellow freshman P.J. Lenz, who took third with a score of 272.55.
The West Virginia State Games' opening session closed with the 400 medley relays. The WVU women's team, comprised of Miranda, senior Emma Harris, Bullock and Nilton, placed first in 3:47.85, while the men's team, led by sophomore Angelo Russo, redshirt senior Tristen Di Sibio, Dixon and El Merini, clocked in at 3:18.33 for first place.
The Mountaineer men's team has never lost at the West Virginia State Games in its seven-year history, while the women's team has won six of the seven overall competitions.
Marshall is hosting the event for the fourth time and first since 2016. WVU also has hosted the meet four times, most recently last season.
The meet concludes on Saturday with sessions set to begin at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Breast/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Fly/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Fly/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breast/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Fly/Breast
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Fly
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Back/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Fly/Back
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Fly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Back/Fly
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
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