WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College swimming & diving teams opened the home portion of its schedule Friday evening. The Presidents faced Allegheny College and Wheeling University for a tri-meet at Henry Memorial Natatorium.
W&J claimed the men's meet over Allegheny by a 147-82 score. Wheeling topped the Presidents' men's team by a 138-114 score. On the women's side, W&J fell by a narrow 114-113 count to Allegheny. Wheeling downed W&J by a 138-94 total.
Logan Marks (West Mifflin, Pa. / West Mifflin) led the Presidents with a pair of first place finishes. Marks touched the wall first in both the 50 Breaststroke (27.82) and the 100 Breaststroke (59:93). Marks added a runner-up performance in the 100 IM with a time of 57.27.
Daniel Jeffries (Irwin, Pa. / Hempfield Area) logged a first-place effort in the 100 Back (59.53) and second in the 50 Back (26.66).
Nathaniel Harden (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield Area) was second in the 50 Breaststroke with a time of 29.21.
In the one-meter dives,
Melvin McRae (Lillington, N.C. / Overhills) finished first with a score of 185.
Will Angus (Grafton, W.Va. / Grafton) was second with a score of 149.25. In the three-meter diving, Angus was first at 161.30 while McRae was second at 150.10.
Angus also finished second in the 100 Back with a time of 1:03.34.
The W&J women put together several strong performances. Leading the way was
Luna Balzano (El Portal, Fla. / Broward Virtual School) secured a first-place finish in the 50 Fly with a time of 28.11. She added a second-place effort in the 200 Free, timing in at 2:16.10.
Sophia Garrett (Cincinnati, Ohio / Saint Ursula Academy) had perhaps the most exciting finish of the meet. Garrett narrowly claimed victory in the 100 Back. The freshman posted a time of 1:05.51.
Amanda Graves (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) recorded three individual finishes in the top three. Graves was runner-up in the 50 Back at 31.62. The senior was third in the 50 Fly (29.75) and third in the 100 Fly (1:13.37).
Rylee Mitchell (Milan, Mich. / Milan) placed second in the 50 Breaststroke with a time of 34.80.
Maddie Malone (Charlottesville, Va. / Monticello) was third in the 100 Breaststroke at 1:20.08.
Morgan Baughman (West Newton, Pa. / Mount Pleasant) picked up a third place a finish with a time of 27.37 in the 50 Free.
Taylor Newton (Olyphant, Pa. / Scranton Prep) finished third in the 100 Free. Isabel Valentin-Montero (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) place third in the 50 Back at 31.76.
In the relays, W&J was the runner-up in the 200 Medley Relay. The quartet of Garrett, Malone, Balzano and Mitchell finished with a time of 1:50.67.
Balzano, Garrett, Mitchell and Graves put together a time of 1:48.44 to finish third in the 200 Free Relay.
W&J hosts Westminster for a conference meet on Saturday, Oct. 28. Start time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
