Jan. 3, 2013
NAPLES, Fla. - Closing out winter training on Thursday afternoon, the Penn State swimming team battled against North Carolina in a non-scored dual meet, while the divers participated in the Tennessee Collegiate Diving Invitational. The Nittany Lions (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) took four of six events in the outdoor competition against the Tar Heels. The five Penn State divers will resume competition in Knoxville on Friday, Jan. 5.
The Lions kicked off the day with a first-place finish in the 3x100 butterfly relay, with junior Andrew Sideras (Philadelphia), junior Sean Grier (Hummelstown, Pa.) and Matt Salig (Downingtown, Pa.) swimming a time of 2:29.40. Following in fifth, sophomore Kyle Madley (Madison, N.J.), junior Shane Austin (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Matt Grillo (Montreal, Quebec) finished in 2:38.29.
Penn State went on to win two consecutive relays, first claiming victory in the 3x100 backstroke relay. Sophomore Nate Savoy (Reading), freshman Shane Ryan (Havertown, Pa.) and Grier earned the top spot with a time of 2:27.69, while senior Jeff Gomez (Morristown, N.J.), junior Thomas Mershon (Malvern, Pa.) and sophomore Ryan Magee (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.) claimed third (2:38.31). Dominating the 3x100 breaststroke relay, junior James Wilson (Nottingham, Pa.), junior Chris Cipolla (South River, N.J.) and junior John Hauser (Pottstown, Pa.) took first place with a time of 2:54.51.
Following a second-place finish (4:03.72) in the 500 free relay from Ryan, Sideras, Savoy and Hauser, the powerhouse squad of Savoy, Wilson, Grier, and Ryan claimed first in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:33.29. The Lions closed out the competition with Salig, Cipolla and Hauser swimming a time of 14:12.65 for third place in the 3x500 free relay.
Over in Knoxville, senior Alex Marchinski (Shillington, Pa.) led the Penn State divers with a 20th place showing on the one-meter board, notching a score of 266.65. Marchinski was followed by junior Lucas Kachurick (McKeesport, Pa.) in 33rd (231.60), sophomore T.J. Schenkel (Richboro, Pa.) in 35th (218.45), freshman Calvin Morris (Keller, Texas) in 39th (212.85) and sophomore Joe Spinelli (Massapequa, N.Y.) in 43rd (200.30).
Penn State will return to regular season competition on Saturday, Jan. 12 when the Lions travel to Arkansas for a tri-meet against the Razorbacks and Missouri State.
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