Feb. 26, 2010

PITTSBURGH—After seven full days of action at Trees Pool, Pitt looks back at the excitement of the 2010 Big East Swimming and Diving Championships, where the men’s team finished third in the meet and the women were fourth. 10 Panthers earned All-Big East honors.

The Big East Championships began with diving events on Friday, Feb. 12 and lasted through Sunday, Feb. 14. Junior Collin Forner earned All-Big East honors after placing third on the 1M board. Forner was also fourth on the 3M board.

Earning All-Big East honors in the swimming events for the women were freshmen Joanna Budzis in the 200 IM and 200 back, and Kelsey Herbst in the 1650 free. On the men’s side, freshman Adam Maczewski earned individual conference honors in the 100 back.

Also garnering All-Big East honors were the men’s 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free relay teams. Swimming in those relays were Maczewski, Jonathan Buchanan, Jake Lucas, Andrzej Dubiel, Otto Pagel, Justin Corvin and Hussein Medhat.

During the week, several school and freshmen records fell. Budzis set the freshman records in the 200 free and 200 back, with times of 1:49.65 and 1:57.97, respectively. She also set the school record in the 200 IM at 2:01.12. Herbst broke the 1650 free rookie record (16:36.98).

Maczewski set a new standard in the 100 back at 47.73 and shattered a rookie mark in the 200 back (1:46.49).

The last record to fall was the oldest one in the books, the 100 fly. Lucas beat the 21-year-old time by nearly two seconds, finishing at 46.44.

Panther swimmers also earned NCAA provisional times during the BEC. Both Budzis and Lucas earned three NCAA B cut times. Budzis in the 200 IM, 200 back and 200 free, and Lucas in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.

Herbst and Maczewski each earned two. Herbst recorded provisional times in the 500 and 1650 free, while Maczewski fell under the provisional mark in the 100 and 200 back events. Also earning an NCAA B time in the 50 free was Dubiel. Additionally, sophomore Rousseau Kluever earned an NCAA provisional time in the 200 fly.

Relays earning NCAA B times include: the men’s and women’s 200, 400 and 800 free relays, the men’s and women’s 200 medley relays and the men’s 400 medley relay. Earning top-10 finishes for Pitt were: Sophie Cross (200 IM and 200 fly), Yolandi Van Rooyen (50 free), Kristen McMullan (50 and 100 free), Lisa McDonnell (200 free), Laura Barnes (100 and 200 breast), Cookie McIntyre (400 IM and 200 fly), Tori Alland (1650 free), Pagel (50 and 200 free), Medhat (100, 200 and 500 free), Buchanan (200 IM), Geoff Morgan (100 and 200 fly), Dubiel (100 and 200 back), Bobby Smith (100 back) and Kluever (400 IM).

The Panthers’ are hosting the ECAC Championships at Trees Pool on Friday, Feb. 26. The meet ends on Sunday, Feb. 28 with finals at 4 p.m.