Dixon Breaks Record, Mountaineers Win WVU Invite

Saturday, November 23

Morgantown, W.Va.

All Day

West Virginia University

WVU Invitational

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

November 23, 2019 09:28 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Final Results (PDF)

By: Olivia VanHorn

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Junior David Dixon posted a record-breaking time in the 200-yard butterfly to lead the West Virginia University men's and women's swimming and diving teams to victory in the first-ever WVU Invitational at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park, on Saturday night, in Morgantown.

Dixon bested the previous school record of 1:42.15, which he set last season at the Big 12 Championship, with a time of 1:41.59. With the mark, Dixon now holds the fastest time in the 200 fly so far this season in NCAA Division I men's swimming.

In all, six different Mountaineers tallied victories on the third and final night of competition, as Dixon and freshman Hunter Armstrong led the way with two wins apiece.

"Wow, what a night," Mountaineer coach Vic Riggs said. "I am really proud of the way we raced tonight. We've been focusing on tight splits and racing to the finish in our training, and it showed across the board, from the 1,650s to the 100s. David's 200 fly is now the fastest in the country, and it secured his spot at NCAAs at the end of the season."

The WVU men's team took home first place with 2,111 team points, ahead of Kenyon College in second with 1,579.5. On the women's side, William & Mary claimed the top spot with 1,615.5 points and the Mountaineer women grabbed second with 1,410 points.

Saturday's finals session began with the 1,650-yard freestyle. The women swam first, as senior Alex Pampalone finished eighth (17:20.50), followed by freshman Anne-Elaine Tiller in 20th (18:00.22). For the men, freshman Zach Boley posted an impressive time of 15:47.12 to finish third, while senior Brandon Christian finished 19th in 16:26.03.

Meanwhile, finals were taking place in the diving well, as the women competed on 1-meter springboard and the men participated on 3-meter. Freshman Holly Darling led the way for the women once again, placing second with an NCAA Zones-qualifying score of 269.20. Sophomore Camille Burt followed in fourth with 250.40 points.

Over on 3-meter springboard, sophomore PJ Lenz tallied his second consecutive NCAA Zones-qualifying score, with a total of 341.70. Classmate Nick Cover also reached his Zones score as he tallied 333.05 points, good for third place.

"The divers were excellent today and throughout this whole competition," diving coach Michael Grapner said. "They created such a positive team atmosphere, which really set the tone for the meet. Holly Darling had a phenomenal weekend. She was consistent and stepped up, from prelims to finals. She is a true competitor."

Following the conclusion of the mile in the competition pool, the women competed in the 200-yard backstroke finals. Senior Ally VanNetta and sophomore Megan Zartman represented WVU in the A final, taking third (2:00.07) and sixth (2:02.42), respectively.

In the men's 200 back, junior Angelo Russo tallied a second-place finish in 1:46.35, as senior Trayton Saladin followed up in seventh in 1:52.68. Sophomore Josh Harlan placed first in the B final, as he touched the pad in 1:50.04, while classmate Josh Madzy was second (1:50.90) and senior Austin Hartke was seventh (1:52.85).

Freshman Emily Haimes finished third in the 100 free A final in 50.80, while sophomore Emma Bliss was sixth (51.60). Five Mountaineers appeared in the B final, including junior Giselle Gursoy (1st – 51.75), freshman Ginger Hansen (2nd – 51.80), senior Julia Nilton (6th – 52.14), freshman Jacqueline McCutchan (7th – 52.19) and sophomore Luisa Winkler (8th – 52.80).

In the men's event, Armstrong added another win to his weekend, touching the wall in 43.75. Junior Ryen Van Wyk followed in third (44.20), while classmate Max Gustafson was sixth (45.51). Junior Christopher O'Shea placed second (45.62) in the B final, and senior Sam Neaveill took sixth (45.84).

As the lone Mountaineer in the A final, freshman Mathilde Kaelbel represented the team well, taking first place in the women's 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:16.18. For the men, senior Jack Portmann finished third (2:01.94), and junior Fausto Huerta finished sixth (2:03.04) in the A final.

The 200-yard butterfly finals highlighted the evening, as Bullock and Dixon handed WVU victories in the men's and women's events. First up was Bullock's win, as she touched the wall in an even 2:00.0, ahead of sophomore Reka Kovacs in second (2:02.05).

Dixon's record came next, as he finished in a record-breaking time of 1:41.59 to earn the win and the top 200 fly time in Division I so far this season. Saladin also swam in the A final, taking third place in 1:49.02.

The three-day competition concluded with the 400 free relays. The women competed first, and the team of Haimes, Bullock, Bliss and Gursoy placed second with a time of 3:24.30. Next, the men's team of Armstrong, Van Wyk, Gustafson and Dixon cruised to victory, as they touched the pads in 2:55.61.

Joining the Mountaineers at this weekend's inaugural mid-season invite were William & Mary, Kenyon College, Old Dominion, Villanova, Carnegie Mellon, Navy, JMU, Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure.

Up next, WVU will ring in the New Year with the Backyard Brawl when Pitt visits Morgantown on Jan. 4, 2020. Competition at the Aquatic Center is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET.

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