Navy Men, William and Mary Women Lead Through Day 1 Of West Virginia Invite

2023 West Virginia Invitational

• November 16-18, 2023
• Morgantown, West Virginia
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results (Day 1)

The 2023 West Virginia Invitational kicked off today with the 200 freestyle relay, 500 free, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, and 400 medley relay. 

Northern Iowa got the session started with a victory in the 200 freestyle relay as the team of Faith Larsen (22.65), Abby Lear (22.96), Amber Finke (22.72), and Morgan Meyer (23.02) posted a 1:31.35 to clear the field by nearly two seconds. 

Larsen, a junior, later decisively won the individual event with a season best time of 22.54. Her personal best stands at 22.50, which she did this past February at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. 

The 500 and 200 IM went to Seton Hall’s Allie Waggoner and William & Mary’s Sophia Heilen, respectively. Waggoner, a junior, had an outstanding swim in the 500, dropping almost six seconds to set a program record time of 4:47.73 and win the event by four second margin.

Heilen, a sophomore, knocked a second off her personal best time in the 200 IM to take 1st in 1:58.38. She was also the butterfly leg (52.57) of William & Mary’s 400 medley relay, which posted a winning time of 3:39.65. 

Seton Hall made it a sweep of the 500 freestyles, as Clil Halevi won the men’s race in 4:26.63. His swim put him just off his personal best, but was about four seconds faster than he was at this same meet last fall.

West Virginia senior Danny Berlitz dominated the 200 IM, hitting a 1:44.78 to top his heat by almost five seconds. Berlitz finished 42nd in this event at the 2023 NCAA Championships with a 1:44.50. 

Berlitz additionally hit a personal best time of 20.02 as the team’s lead-off leg of the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:19.10). 

Jonah Harm from Navy was the only swimmer to crack 20-seconds in the individual event for the 50 freestyle. He stopped the clock at 19.96, just three tenths shy of his best time set at the Patriot League Championships this past spring. 

Team Scores Through Day 1:

Men:

1. Navy – 330
2. West Virginia – 226
3. Delaware – 129
4. William & Mary – 108
5. Seton Hall – 102
6. Drexel – 88
7. Old Dominion – 52
8. Villanova – 48

Women:

1. William & Mary – 156
2. West Virginia – 155
3. Villanova – 151
4. Northern Iowa – 126
5. Delaware – 120
6. Seton Hall – 98
7. Navy – 92
8. East Carolina – 87
9. Drexel – 72
10. Old Dominion – 28