Feb. 9, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Seven members of the Penn State men's swimming and diving team traveled to Columbus for the annual Ohio State Invite on Saturday, with each of the Nittany Lions (5-2, 0-1 Big Ten) recording a new personal or season best time.
Opening the day for the Lions, freshman Matthew Drohan (Kennett Square, Pa.) posted a new personal best time of 4:45.41 in the 500 free preliminaries, obliterating his previous time of 4:59.09. The rookie went on to claim 11th place in the B Final with a time of 4:46.92.
Taking fourth place in the 100 fly, freshman Chase Schell (Tacoma, Wash.) clocked in at 50.80 after qualifying for the A Final with a personal best time of 50.70 in the preliminaries. Junior Peter Fittin (Sea Girt, N.J.) also qualified for the A Final, taking first place in the preliminaries with a personal best time of 49.74. Fittin went on to place sixth (51.07). Sophomore Nathan Reed (Berwyn, Pa.) also recorded a new personal best time in the 100 fly, taking 11th in the B Final with 51.25. Additionally, sophomore Larry Virgilio (Pine Bush, N.Y.) took 16th in the preliminaries with a personal best of 53.03 seconds.
Five Lions competed in the 100 free, with Virgilio taking third in the preliminaries with a personal best time of 45.63, as well as in the A Finals with 46.07. Sophomore Emre Acar (Istanbul, Turkey) followed in fourth (46.09) and Fittin earned seventh place with a personal best time of 46.77. Acar also claimed fourth in the prelims with a season best time of 45.98. Reed competed in the event for the first time this season, earning 15th in the B Final with 47.68. Freshman Alex High (Reading, Pa.) finished 18th (48.03) after notching a new personal best record in the preliminaries with a time of 47.36. The rookie went on to claim eighth in the A Final of the 100 back with a time of 53.82.
Penn State returns to action at the Ohio State Invite tomorrow, Feb. 10 and can be followed via .
Check back to GoPSUSports.com for continued updates during the 2012-13 season. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/PennStateSWIM and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving.com.