Feb. 20, 2010

PITTSBURGH—Pitt’s 400 free relay team earns All-Big East honors, as the men’s swimming and diving team finished third with 535 points in the 2010 Big East Championships, held on campus at Trees Pool.

Recording a NCAA B cut time and earning All-Big East honors, Pitt’s 400 free relay team of sophomores Jake Lucas and Otto Pagel, freshman Hussein Medhat and junior Andrzej Dubiel combined for a second place finish of 2:57.10. That time was faster than the previous Trees Pool record of 2:59.00, set in 1996. However, Louisville outreached Pitt at the wall for a 2:56.87 finish.

Individually, Lucas improved upon his morning swim and slipped under the NCAA provisional mark for a time of 44.29 in the 100 free. He placed sixth overall.

Medhat won the B final of the 100 free with a time 45.04. Trailing, junior Donald Mata, Pagel and sophomore Jacob Van Roekel placed 12th, 13th and 15th, respectively.

Also improving upon his time and finish in the prelims, sophomore Rousseau Kluever slid under the 200 fly’s NCAA provisional mark in the finals. He placed fourth overall with a finish of 1:47.05. That was also better than the previous Trees Pool record, which now stands at 1:45.35 after tonight.

Senior Geoff Morgan also swam in the finals of the 200 fly, placing eighth overall with a time of 1:49.80. Swimming in the consolation heat of that same event, junior Alex McLaren and senior Charlie Zettel finished 12th and 13th, respectively.

Placing fifth in the finals of the 200 back, freshman Adam Maczewski recorded a NCAA B cut time in the finals, shaving his time from the prelims to 1:46.49. That time will also be the standard for freshman, breaking Jeff Leath’s 1:46.97 record from 2004.

Additionally, Dubiel won the consolation heat of the 200 back, after dropping his prelim time to 1:47.95. Trailing behind him, junior Bobby Smith placed 11th in the same event (1:48.65).

Representing the Panthers in the 200 breast consolation, freshman Nick Sharp dropped one second off his morning swim to improve to 12th overall (2:04.42).

Earlier in the meet, freshman Jared Kolwyck dropped 17 seconds off his seed time in the 1650 free, recording a time of 15:52.35 in the event.

Men’s Team Rankings
1. Louisville 808
2. Notre Dame 758
3. Pittsburgh 535
4. West Virginia 442
6. Cincinnati 305
5. Connecticut 288.5
7. Seton Hall 184
8. Georgetown 133
9. Villanova 108
10. Providence 70
11. Syracuse 32