Men's Place Second, Women's Place Fourth at WVU Invite

Friday, November 22

Morgantown, W.Va.

10 a.m. Prelims/6 p.m. Finals

West Virginia University

WVU Invitational

November 22, 2024 07:39 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Day 2 Finals Results

By: Charles Montgomery

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men's and women's swimming and diving teams finished competition on Friday at The Peak Health Aquatic Center at Mylan Park in Morgantown as the men's team placed second and the women's team placed fourth at the WVU Invitational.

Swim and Dive Release Header

The Mountaineers grabbed two top-three finishes in the women's 1,650-yard freestyle to begin the evening as junior Olivia Busch (16:56.81) and senior Miranda Kirtley (17:02.50) placed second and third, respectively.

In the women's 200-yard backstroke, sophomore Delaney Cox swam the sixth fastest time in the event in program history as she won the event with a time of 1:57.50.

Junior Gabriela Martin was impressive in the women's 100-yard freestyle, placing second with a final time of 50.29. She finished just behind William and Mary's Caroline Burgeson, who touched the wall at 50.16. On the men's side, senior Conner McBeth earned a third-place finish, touching the wall at 44.38.

Redshirt senior Danny Berlitz secured the highest individual finish of the night for WVU after he placed second in the 200 breaststroke (1:56.50).

In the women's 200 butterfly, sophomore Maddie Smutny added to her impressive week after touching the wall at 1:59.23 to win the event. This marked the fifth-fastest time in the event in program history.

On the men's side, junior Álvaro Santiago snagged third (1:49.61).

West Virginia rounded out the night with the women's 400 freestyle relay team placing second (3:24.13).

The men's relay team comprised of Berlitz, McBeth, and seniors Roanoke Shirk and Braden Osborn, were uncatchable as they won the 400 freestyle relay (2:54.60).

In the diving well, three divers posted NCAA Zone qualifying scores on the platform. Freshman Levi Hellmann (303.50), sophomore Owen Recker (348.80) and junior Abigail Sullivan (244.75) each posted qualifying scores for WVU.

Recker won the men's platform event, while Hellmann placed second. Sullivan placed second on the women's platform for WVU.

The men's and women's diving teams also picked up wins in the team diving events.

Women's Standings

William and Mary (1,853)
Villanova (1,753.50)
Navy (1,621.50)
West Virginia (1,530)
Old Dominion (504)
James Madison (187/diving only)
Clarion (160/diving only)
Duquesne (72/diving only)

Men's Standings

Navy (2,600)
West Virginia (1,754)
Villanova (1,200)
Old Dominion (1,045)
William & Mary (894)
Clarion (212/diving only)

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