Mountaineers Sweep W.Va. State Games

Saturday, October 13

Huntington, W.Va.

10:00 a.m.

West Virginia University

West Virginia State Games

October 13, 2018 06:36 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Results

By: Joe Mitchin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University swimming and diving teams concluded the West Virginia State Games in style on Saturday in Huntington, West Virginia.

WVU won 27 of 28 events at Marshall's Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium, leading to meet victories for the men's and women's teams. In all, the Mountaineers combined to win 39 of 40 events at the two-day meet.

The eighth-annual event featured a competition between collegiate swimming and diving programs from across the state of West Virginia. The Mountaineer men's team earned 1,829 points at the meet, earning its eighth consecutive State Games win. West Virginia Wesleyan placed second with 453 points, while Davis & Elkins (380) was third.

On the women's side, the Mountaineers earned 1,462.5 team points, good for their seventh victory in eight years. WVU topped second-place Marshall (1,085.5) by 377 points. West Virginia Wesleyan (316) placed third.

"We had a pretty solid two sessions today," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "This is a tough day of racing, and I thought we did very well. Many individuals did a great job of communicating with the staff and working on their race plans, and the results indicated that. Our relays were solid and should continue to improve. Overall, we did some things very well, but we also had areas that we need to improve on in the next few weeks."

"I'm really pleased with all of the divers this weekend," diving coach Michael Grapner said. "Averly Hobbs has been training really well, and she was outstanding this weekend. The freshmen stepped up and did a fantastic job with their first meet. They had some jitters at first, but they showed what they can do on the boards. I'm really happy to see Nick (Cover), Averly and Camille (Burt) get some qualifying scores this early in the season."

The Mountaineers were led by junior Morgan Bullock and sophomore David Dixon. The duo won seven events each on Saturday, including four individual events. In all, Bullock and Dixon won 10 events apiece (five individual, five relay) throughout the weekend.

Saturday's morning session began with the women's 200 medley relay where the team of junior Julia Miranda, senior Emma Harris, Bullock and senior Julia Nilton won in a time of 1:44.92. Sophomore Angelo Russo, redshirt senior Tristen Di Sibio, Dixon and senior Merwane El Merini won the men's heat in 1:30.34.

Bullock grabbed her first individual win of the day in the women's 100 butterfly. The Zeeland, Michigan, native touched the wall in 56.46, ahead of second-place Miranda (56.48). Dixon won on the men's side, recording a time of 48.87. Russo (50.82) and junior Trayton Saladin (51.30) finished second and third, respectively, as WVU earned the top-10 times in the event.

Next, junior Alex Pampalone was victorious in the women's 400 individual medley, earning a time of 4:33.39. For the men, Dixon won his second individual race of the session with a first-place time of 4:05.60. Sophomore Philip Kay (4:07.25) and freshman Josh Harlan (4:08.85) completed the 1-2-3 finish for West Virginia.

In the women's 200 freestyle, Bullock topped the field with a time of 1:53.42, while freshman Lauryn Kallay earned a third-place finish in 1:55.62. Sophomore Max Gustafson tallied the win for the Mountaineer men in 1:42.63, ahead of senior Drew Damich (1:43.01) and junior Brandon Christian (1:45.19).

The winning continued in the 100 breaststrokes where Harris earned the win on the women's side in 1:05.10, while Di Sibio won for the men in 56.38. That led into the 100 backstrokes, which saw Miranda take the victory in the women's heat in 56.37, ahead of sophomore Ally VanNetta (58.26), who took second place. Russo (49.88), El Merini (52.13) and junior Austin Hartke (52.64) led a 1-2-3 finish for the WVU men.

Saturday's morning session concluded with the 800 freestyle relays. The Mountaineer women's team of Bullock, sophomore Luisa Winkler, freshman Reka Kovacs and Kallay placed first in 7:48.12, while Dixon, Gustafson, Damich and Saladin took the victory for the men in 6:58.14.

On springboard, senior Averly Hobbs earned her second win of the weekend with a victory on women's 1-meter. She earned a score of 275.25, ahead of freshman Camille Burt, who finished second in 269.55. Senior Madelyn Woods took third with a score of 262.55.

For the men, redshirt freshman Jacob Cardinal Tremblay won on 3-meter, earning a score of 250.55. Freshmen P.J. Lenz (249.45) and Nick Cover (246.45) took second and third, respectively.

In the afternoon session, Kallay won the women's 1,650 freestyle in 17:41.38, ahead of second-place Pampalone (17:44.57). Saladin touched the wall in 16:55.36 for second place for the men.

Next, Miranda earned her second individual win of the day in the women's 200 backstroke in 2:04.61. VanNetta placed second in 2:06.85. Russo also notched another victory in the men's event, leading a pack of Mountaineers in 1:51.92. West Virginia recorded the six fastest times in the event, including Harlan, who finished second in 1:52.55.

Bullock again came away victorious in the women's 100 freestyle, earning a winning time of 53.10. For the men, El Merini took first in 46.52.

Later, Harris won the women's 200 breaststroke. Harris, the school-record holder in the event, registered a first-place time of 2:21.39. Senior Marah Bieger finished in 2:35.52 for third.

Dixon's third individual win of the day came in the men's 200 breast. The Richmond, Virginia, native touched the wall in 2:04.63, ahead of junior Jack Portmann (2:10.52) and freshman Fausto Huerta (2:10.71).

In the women's 200 butterfly, Bullock won with a time of 2:04.77. Kovacs placed second in the event in 2:13.51, while sophomore Kayla Gagnon (2:15.01) was third. Dixon added to his win total in the men's race, winning in 1:47.04.

The meet finished with the 400 freestyle relays, where the women's team of Bullock, Miranda, Nilton and Kallay won in 3:35.37, while El Merini, Damich, junior Sam Neaveill and Dixon combined to win for the men in 3:05.09.

The Mountaineers return to Morgantown to host their home opener in a tri-meet with Seton Hall and Xavier from Oct. 19-20, at the WVU Natatorium. Friday's action is set to begin with diving at 4 p.m. and swimming events at 6 p.m.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.