Oct. 7, 2001

PITTSBURGH-The Pittsburgh men's swimming and diving team opened the 2001-02 season with an impressive first-place finish at the 37th annual Notre Dame Relays on Fri., Oct. 5.

The Panthers recorded 234 points in the 11 swimming relays and one diving competition, sixty more than second-place Notre Dame. Washington University finished in third place with 118 points, followed by Valparaiso (116) and Marquette (84).

Even more impressive was that the Panthers won all 11 swimming relays while finishing in second place in the 3-meter diving event. In the 11 victories, the Panthers set seven meet records.

"It was rewarding breaking seven meet records and winning all of the swimming events," said Head Coach Chuck Knoles. "Those results were not expected. Although we did not swim as fast as we probably should have, the team looks as though they are getting on the right track for the tough schedule ahead."

The Panthers broke the meet record in two different 400 medley relays, the 200 medley, 800 and 1000 freestyle, 400 butterfly and 400 backstroke. Pittsburgh also won the 200, 400 and 500 freestyle as well as the 400 breaststroke. 19 different Panther swimmers combined to win in the 11 swimming relays, including four freshmen - Kestutis Aukstuolis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore), Brian Bonczek (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), Stephen Kilroy (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Hannes Kohnke (Malmo, Sweden/Borgarskolan).

"We put our freshmen in pressure situations where they had to swim well in order to get the relay win," Knoles said. "I was very impressed with their response."

Pittsburgh has won five consecutive Big East championships and will return home to compete in the annual Blue-Gold Meet at Trees Pool on Fri., Oct. 12. The meet begins at 4 p.m.