Hokie ClubUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Virginia Tech swimming and diving teams opened up the 2015-16 season on Friday afternoon with a dual meet at Penn State University.
The Hokie men took a 178.5-118.5 victory over the Nittany Lions while the women fell 183-114.
The men picked up all 16 points from the 100-yard backstroke as Robert Owen, Zach Switzer and Brent Benedict placed in that order. Owen had the winning time of 50.66 seconds while Switzer and Benedict were 50.72 seconds and 51.49 seconds, respectively.
The men also took home first place in the 200-yard medley relay as Zach Switzer, Brandon Fiala, Drake Becksted and Ian Ho swam a time of 1:30.42. In the long distance, Michal Szuba won the 1,000-yard free with a time of 9:17.38 and the 500-yard free style in 4:29.44. In the 1,000-yard freestyle, Tech took three of the top four places in the event.
The men also took the top three places in the 200-yard backstroke as Owen, Workman and Switzer combined to give the Hokies 16 points in that event as well. Owen had a winning time of 1:48.14.
Michael Craddock took home a victory in his debut with a 2:06.02 time in the 200-yard breaststroke as Eric Delmonte finished just behind with a time of 2:06.28.
Fiala was able to bring home three more victories with one in the 100-yrd breaststroke with a time of 56.62 seconds. His second came in the 50-yard free with a time of 20.87 seconds and his third was in the 200-yard IM where he swam a 1:50.91. Lucas Bureau won the 100-yard free with a time of 45.33 seconds and the 100-yard butterfly in 49.58 seconds.
On the women’s side, Jessica Hespeler won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.75. Klaudia Nazieblo also had a first place finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:59.11. Nazieblo wasn’t done yet as she also won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.14. Maggie Gruber won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.72.
In diving, Ashlynn Peters made her collegiate debut and won the 1-meter and 3-meter. She took the title in the 1-meter with a score of 301.72, well in front of second place which finished with 261.97. In the 3-meter, she scored 325.58. The men got nine points from Logan Stevens as he scored a 388.80 in the 3-meter.
The H2Okies will be back in the pool tomorrow as they head south to Morgantown, West Virginia at 4 p.m. to take on the Mountaineers of West Virginia University.