Feb. 28, 2013
Thursday Final Results / Thursday Prelims / Big Ten Championships Page / Live Results
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - For the second straight night, a Penn State men's swimming and diving team record has been broken, with sophomore Nick Ankosko (East Brunswick, N.J.) performing outstandingly in the 500 free. Ankosko posted a time of 4:18.56 in the preliminaries to top a 12-year old record originally set in 2001. The Nittany Lions (5-2, 0-1 Big Ten) currently sit in eighth-place with 75 points, and come away from day two of competition with four more NCAA B cut performances.
Ankosko's record-setting time in the preliminaries broke Martin Schierhorn's record of 4:19.30, and qualified him for the A Final of the 500 free. The sophomore went on to place eighth overall with a time of 4:20.48, exceeding NCAA standards by 4.51 seconds for a B cut. Also qualifying for the NCAA's in the 500 free, junior John Hauser (Pottstown, Pa.) competed in the C Final for an 18th-overall showing. His time of 4:22.48 is a personal best, and gives Hauser his second consecutive B Cut performance since arriving in Bloomington.
The Lions had a strong showing in the 500 free, with junior Seth Wensel (Christiansburg, Va.) earning 32nd in the prelims with a time of 4:27.96, topping his previous personal best record of 4:35.23. Additionally, freshman Jon Seiferth (Allison Park, Pa.) recorded a new personal best time of 4:30.22, shattering his original record of 4:45.14. Seiferth's performance earned 40th overall, while freshman Andrew Eiken (Naperville, Ill.) took 47th (4:32.29).
Penn State's third NCAA B Cut came from none other than Nate Savoy (Reading, Pa.), who posted a 14th-place showing in the B Final of the 200 IM with 1:47.28. The sophomore swam a time of 1:47.02 in the preliminaries, which was a season-best for the 2012 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Competing in the C Final, junior Matt Salig (Downingtown, Pa.) came in 23rd place (1:49.97) and junior James Wilson (Nottingham, Pa.) followed in 24th (1:50.72). Salig also swam a season-best time in the preliminaries with 1:49.05, while Wilson recorded a new personal record with a time of 1:48.79.
Six more Lions swam tremendously in the preliminaries of the 200 IM, with junior Thomas Mershon (Malvern, Pa.) swimming a season-best time of 1:49.46 for 33rd place. Sophomore Jonathan Ekstrom (Silver Spring, Md.) and senior Jeff Gomez (Morristown, N.J.) swam their season-best performances, as well, taking 44th (1:51.00) and 45th (1:51.10), respectively. Sophomore Ryan Magee (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.), freshman Kevin Glenn (Matthews, N.C.) and freshman Max Byers (Glen Carbon, Ill.) also recorded their personal best times in the event. Magee finished in 47th with 1:51.37, Glenn took 50th with 1:51.60 and Byers followed in 51st with a time of 1:51.79.
Recording his first NCAA B cut of the season, junior Shane Austin (Kennett Square, Pa.) led Penn State in the 50 free, finishing ninth in the B Final with a time of 19.87. His season-best time was just .08 seconds away from topping his personal best record of 19.80, set in 2012. Sophomore Jeff Young (Hershey, Pa.) and junior Andrew Sideras (Philadelphia, Pa.) followed Austin in the C Final, taking 18th (20.31) and 20th (20.41) place, respectively. Sideras' time was a season-best for the junior, while Young's preliminary time of 20.22 set a new personal record for the sophomore. Also recording personal best times, freshman Matt Grillo (Montreal, Quebec) finished 29th with a time of 20.51 and junior Peter Fittin (Sea Girt, N.J.) came in 35th with a time of 20.60.
Over at diving, junior Lucas Kachurick (McKeesport, Pa.) finished 26th in the preliminaries of the one-meter dive, posting a score of 258.70. Sophomore T.J. Schenkel (Richboro, Pa.) followed in 29th with a score of 249.35.
Penn State continues competition tomorrow, March 1 in Bloomington, competing in the 200 free relay, 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back and three-meter diving. Follow all events with Live Results and get full Big Ten Championships coverage here.
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