WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College swimming & diving teams opened up this weekend with a home dual meet Saturday afternoon against Pitt-Bradford. The visiting Panthers claimed victory on the men's side (127 - 99) while W&J earned the victory in the women's meet (97.5 - 57.5).
The W&J men were led by junior captain
Nathan Smith (Fort Defiance, Va. / Fort Defiance) who finished this afternoon with two first place finishes. One being in the 100 backstroke (59.17) and the other coming in the 100 butterfly (55.86).
Fellow junior captain
Matt Allgeier (Port Matilda, Pa. / State College Area) followed up Smith's efforts with two first place finishes as well. Both of his top finishes came within the 100 breaststroke (1:11.06) and the 200 breaststroke (2:37.09).
Top finishes from junior captain
Garrett Apuzzo (Cheswick, Pa. / Springdale) and freshman standout
Esteban Sanchez-Sink (Lansing, Mich. / East Lansing) aided in the Presidents efforts. Apuzzo finished first in the 200 butterfly (2:58.40) and second in the 100 butterfly (1:12.17) while Sanchez-Sink finished second in both the 200 freestyle (1:58.67) and the 100 freestyle (54.51).
Freshman
Melvin McRae (Lillington, N.C. / Overhills) accumulated a score of 276.2 to give W&J diving points.
The men's also took first in a relay, being the 200 freestyle relay, as Sanchez-Sink, Allgeier, Smith, and
Cody North (Evergreen, Colo. / Clear Creek) posted a time of 1:41.40.
On the women's side, the Presidents were led by junior
Molly Nielsen (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) as she posted two first place finishes in the 100 freestyle (58.37) and the 200 freestyle (2:04.20).
Amanda Graves (Irwin, Pa. / Penn Trafford) made her return to individual this weekend and instantly made an impact as she too posted two first place finishes for the Presidents. Her top finishes came in the 100 backstroke (1:09.01) and the 50 freestyle were she finished tied for first (27.87).
Taylor Newton (Olyphant, Pa. / Scranton Prep) and
Morgan McGuire (Friedens, Pa. / Somerset) also made individual impacts for W&J inside the pool. Newton posted a first place finish in the 500 freestyle (5:54.60) and a second place finish in the 200 freestyle (2:12.61). McGuire posted a similar line with first place in the 200 backstroke (2:40.86) and a second place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:13.75).
Freshman
Madison Trunzo (Elizabethtown, Pa./Cedar Cliff) accumulated a score of 353.35 to give W&J diving points.
Along with the men's, the women's also took first in a relay, being the 200 freestyle relay as well after Nielsen, Newton, Graves, and McGuire posted a combined time of 1:52.27.
W&J honored senior
Alexis Griner (Valrico, Fla./Bloomingdale) prior to the meet as part of her Senior Day.
W&J returns to competition on Saturday, Dec. 3 when they head to Latrobe, Pa. for a meet with the Saint Vincent Bearcats in the Presidents last swimming & diving meet of the semester before winter break.
