Dixon Wins Second Title to Close Big 12s

Saturday, March 2

Austin, Texas

11:00 a.m.

West Virginia University

Big 12 Championship

March 02, 2019 11:39 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Full Results

By: Joe Mitchin

AUSTIN, Texas – Sophomore David Dixon of the West Virginia University men's swimming and diving team won his second Big 12 championship in as many days when he finished first in the men's 200 butterfly at the 2019 Big 12 Championship, at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night.

Dixon earned a school-record time of 1:42.15 to win his second individual conference championship of the week. The Richmond, Virginia, native took down his own previous WVU-best time of 1:42.50, which he set last season.

Dixon's victory came after he won the men's 100 butterfly in a time of 46.73 on Friday.

The win was WVU's 14th individual Big 12 championship and 10th among men. Dixon also became the Mountaineers' fifth multiple-time Big 12 champion and the first two-time champion in the same season since Tim Squires in 2014.

In all, West Virginia claimed one gold, four silver and one bronze medal on the final day of the four-day championship meet. For the week, the Mountaineers collected two golds, nine silvers and 10 bronzes.

The Mountaineer men earned a second-place team finish with 849.5 points, while the women's team took third with 533 points.

"David did a great job this week," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "He's a very, very talented swimmer, and he's very determined. Because of that, I believed he could do what he wanted to do here. We're just fortunate that the plan came together, and, hopefully, he can come back to Austin in a few weeks (for the NCAA Championships) and try to swim a little bit faster.

"Overall, we had a really solid meet. It didn't come as easy as last year, and we had to fight through some early struggles at the beginning part of the week. I thought we handled ourselves with great composure and character, and it resulted in a very solid week.

Along with Dixon's school-record performance, redshirt senior Tristen Di Sibio also notched WVU's all-time No. 1 time in the men's 200 breaststroke. The Lantana, Texas, native finished in 1:54.70 for second place, topping the previous record of 1:55.72 by Michael Walker in 2009.

The Mountaineers combined to break eight total school records during the conference meet.

In diving, freshman Nick Cover earned a bronze medal after his finals score of 297.15 in the men's platform dive on Saturday. Freshman PJ Lenz was fourth in 284.50, while redshirt freshman Jacob Cardinal Tremblay was fifth with a score of 259.30. Sophomore Caleb Keck was sixth with a 205.30.

For the women, senior Julia Calcut qualified for her second final of the Big 12 meet, finishing in seventh on platform with a score of 209.90. Five Mountaineers participated in the women's consolation final, including senior Averly Hobbs, who won with a score of 200.35 for ninth place overall. Freshman Camille Burt took 11th overall with a 187.95, while freshman Emma Longley was 12th with a 179.30. Senior Madelyn Woods finished 14th overall with a 172.95, ahead of freshman Callie Smith, who was 15th with a score of 163.85.

"The word 'pride' comes to mind when I think about this Big 12 Championship and the season as a whole," WVU diving coach Michael Grapner said. "These divers put their heart and soul into their team, and I'm incredibly proud of each of them. Today's platform performance is another step in the direction up the mountain. They all have come a long way this season, and I'm looking forward to the future of this team."

Saturday's finals session began with the women's 200 backstroke, where sophomore Ally VanNetta secured a sixth-place finish in a time of 1:58.86. Junior Alex Pampalone was fourth in the consolation final for 12th overall in 2:03.67, while junior Miranda Marcucci (2:04.90) finished 14th overall. Freshmen Megan Zartman and Bettie Logan took 20th and 23rd overall, respectively, after their C-final swims.

Junior Trayton Saladin placed eighth in 1:48.32 in the men's event. In the B final, freshman Josh Harlan and sophomores Angelo Russo and Philip Kay finished 14th, 15th and 16th overall.

Junior Julia Nilton earned a sixth-place finish in the women's 100 free after touching the wall in 49.93. Sophomore Giselle Gursoy took third in the consolation final in 50.78 for 11th overall, while freshman Emma Bliss finished 13th in 51.24. Sophomore Luisa Winkler raced in the C final, taking 22nd overall.

A pair of Mountaineers reached the podium in the men's event. Senior Merwane El Merini (43.65) finished fifth and earned an NCAA B-cut time, while sophomore Christopher O'Shea (44.58) was seventh. Junior Sam Neaveill took second (10th overall) in the B final with a time of 44.26. The event also featured senior Drew Damich (11th – 44.40), sophomore Max Gustafson (12th – 44.90) and junior Brandon Christian (16th – 46.91).

In the women's 1,650 freestyle, freshman Lauryn Kallay recorded an 11th-place finish in 17:11.09. Pampalone was 14th in 17:24.88.

Next was the women's 200 breaststroke, where senior Emma Harris registered a silver medal in a time of 2:12.55. The performance was good for an NCAA B-cut. Senior Marah Bieger (2:21.91) and freshman Lauren Beckish (2:29.91) finished 11th and 12th overall after their B-final swims.

Then, Di Sibio took down the school record in the men's event. Three other Mountaineers – senior Jake Armstrong (fifth – 1:59.94), freshman Fausto Huerta (sixth – 2:00.67) and sophomore Ben Brooks (eighth – 2:03.31) – also reached the podium. Junior Jack Portmann hit a 2:00.03 to win the consolation final, beating out teammate senior Jake Preaskorn (2:07.27).

In the women's 200 butterfly, junior Morgan Bullock registered an impressive B-cut time of 1:55.25 for the silver medal. Freshman Reka Kovacs finished sixth in 2:02.29, while sophomore Kayla Gagnon (2:04.40), who swam in the B final, was 12th overall.

Next came Dixon's big moment. Also in the race was junior Jack Frazier, who took fifth with a time of 1:47.18. Junior Ryan Kelly finished ninth overall. He went 1:49.37 in the consolation.

The final event of the championship was the 400 freestyle relay. The men's team, comprised of O'Shea, El Merini, Damich and Neaveill, took second with a 2:54.35. The women – Nilton, Bullock, Bliss, Gursoy – took fourth in 3:21.75.

Next up, the Mountaineers will begin preparations for the NCAA Championships. The women's heat takes place from March 20-23, while men's event is set for March 27-30. Both meets will commence in Austin. Additionally, divers will compete in the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships, from March 11-13, in Annapolis, Maryland.

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