Swimming And Diving Dominates St. Bonaventure In Season OpenerSwimming And Diving Dominates St. Bonaventure In Season Opener

Swimming And Diving Dominates St. Bonaventure In Season Opener

The Nittany Lions defeated the Bonnies 228-72 (mens) and 211-81 (womens) at the McCoy Natatorium

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Swimming and Diving teams opened their long-awaited 2025-26 season with a dominant victory over St. Bonaventure. The men took home a win with a final score of 228-72, while the women posted a 211-81 victory.  

This marks the first win in head coach Hollie Bonewit-Cron's second season. The Nittany Lions are continuing their momentum from their very successful 2024-25 campaign under Bonewit-Cron.  

Men

Top Swims:  

Senior Eduardo Cisternas won the 1000-yard Free with a time of 9:15.79, with sophomore Jack Clancy trailing, posting a 9:29.08.  

Sophomore Rylan Anselm touched first in the 200-yard Free with a 1:38.18.  

The Nittany Lions continued their dominance with senior Cooper Morley taking first in the 100-yard Back, posting a time of 46.42. Senior Mariano Lazzerini followed in the 100-yard Breast, winning first with a 52.54. 

Junior Alex Karahalis posted a 1:46.26 to win the 200-yard Fly.  

Junior Tylor Kim took back-to-back events, winning the 50-yard Free with a 19.90 and the 100-yard Free with a 43.26.  

Morley took his second event of the day, winning the 200-yard Back with a 1:46.95. He was closely followed by Ian Combs, who took second with a 1:48.09. Lazzerini also found his second win of the day in the 200-yard Breast, posting a 1:56.39. 

The Nittany Lions swept the podium in the 500-yard Free. Cisternas swam a 4:24:83 to grab first, while Anselm posted a 4:28.47, good for second, and Clancy with a 4:34.44, good for third. 

Senior Matthew Bittner tallied his first victory of the season, posting a 48.19 in the 100-yard Fly.  

Senior Andrew Christensen and Karahalis both posted a 1:49.54 in the 200-yard, recording the singular tie of the match-up. This served as a new personal best for Christensen. 

 

Relays: 

The 200-yard Medley Relay team of Matthew Bittner, Mariano Lazzerini, Cooper Morley and Tylor Kim took home first with a time of 1:25.69.  

The Nittany Lions claimed first in the 400-yard Free Relay. The team, consisting of Lazzerini, Toni Slavica, Jake Kennedy and Kim, tallied a 2:56.97. 

 

Diving: 

Hayden Elliot got his first win of the season in the one-meter competition, tallying a final score of 320.85, while Danny McGaughey placed second with a score of 292.35. Elliot added an additional victory in the three-meter event with a final score of 321.30. Elliot defeated the second-place finisher by over 39 points.   

 

Winners: 

1000 Free: Eduardo Cisternas 9:15.79 

200 Free: Rylan Anselm 1:38.18 

100 Back: Cooper Morley 46.42 

100 Breast: Mariano Lazzerini 52:54 

200 Fly: Alex Karahalis 1:47.46 

50 Free: Tylor Kim 19.90 

100 Free: Tylor Kim 43.26 

200 Back: Cooper Morley 1:46.95 

200 Breast: Mariano Lazzerini 1:56.39 

500 Free: Eduardo Cisternas 4:24:83 

100 Fly: Matthew Bittner 48.19 

200 IM: Andrew Christensen and Alex Karahalis 1:49.54 

1 Meter Dive: Hayden Elliott 320.85 

3 Meter Dive: Hayden Elliot 321.30 

 

 

Women

Top Swims: 

Senior Morgan Moore touched first place in the 1000-yard Free with a time of 10:03.07.  

Senior Catherine Meisner swam a 1:46.82 to win the 200-yard Free. Margart Markvardt followed in the 100-yard Back, swimming a 55.17.  

Sophomore Audrey Cohen took home first in the 100-yard Breast with a 1:03.27.

Freshman Cyrah Robinson grabbed first with an exciting finish in the 50-yard Free, boasting a 23.60, just .19 seconds in front of sophomore Katie Ketter. This served as a new personal best for the freshman from Texas. 

Meisner took her second event of the day, winning the 100-yard Free with a time of 50.29. Cohen followed in the 200-yard Breast, winning her second event with a 2:16.80.

Morgan Moore grabbed her second event of the day, boasting a 4:57.09 to win the 500-yard Free. Robinson followed, taking her second event of the day with a 55:10 in the 100-yard Fly.  

The women swept the podium in the 200-yard IM. Julia Meisner won the event with a time of 2:02.54, followed by her twin sister, Catherine Meisner, with a time of 2:02.71, and Julia Shafer with a time of 2:04.39.  

 

Relays: 

The women started strong, winning the 200-yard Medley Relay with a time of 1:42.46. The team consisted of Margaret Markvardt, Audrey Cohen, Millie Evans and Katie Ketter. 

The 400-yard Free Relay boasted a close finish, with the Nittany Lions taking both first and second. The first-place team of Robinson, Moore, Cohen, and Julia Barto tallied a 3:24.49, good for first in an electric finish.  

 
Diving:  

Grace Brammer dominated on the women’s side, sweeping both the one- and three-meter diving events. Brammer had a final score of 314.63 in the three-meter dive and a final score of 262.95 in the one-meter dive. 

 

Women’s: 

1000 Free: Morgan Moore 10:03.07 

200 Free: Catherine Meisner 1:46.82 

100 Back: Margaret Markvardt 55.17 

100 Breast: Audrey Cohen 1:03.27 

200 Fly: Julia Meisner 2:01.00 

50 Free: Cyrah Robinson 23.60 

100 Free: Catherine Meisner 50.29 

200 Breast: Audrey Cohen 2:16.80 

500 Free: Morgan Moore 4:57.09 

100 Fly: Cyrah Robinson 55:10 

200 IM: Julia Meisner 2:02.54 

1 Meter Dive: Grace Brammer 262.95 

3 Meter Dive: Grace Brammer 314.63 

 

For updates on Penn State Swimming and Diving, follow the team on Instagram (@pennstateswim) and X (pennstateswimdive).