WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INVITATIONAL
- November 17 – 19, 2022
- Morgantown, WV
- 25 Yards
- Results: “WVU Invite 2022” on MeetMobile
TEAMS:
- West Virginia
- Colgate
- Drexel
- Villanova
- William & Mary
- East Carolina
- Old Dominion
- Seton Hall
- Army (diving)
- Duquesne (diving)
- James Madison (diving)
- Liberty (diving)
- St. Bonaventure (diving)
- Navy (diving)
- Toledo (diving)
- Alabama (diving)
The West Virginia Invitational kicked off today in Morgantown. Outside of host West Virginia, this invite features primarily mid-major schools. It is also a popular diving invite, drawing eight teams that will be competing in diving alone, including Alabama and Navy.
Today’s events included the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 200 free relay, and 400 medley relay. Twenty-four swimmers advanced to finals in the 500, while thirty-two advanced in the 50 free & 200 IM.
Women’s Recap:
In the 200 freestyle relay, West Virginia’s Mia Cheatwood (22.97), Harna Minezawa (22.99), Jacqueline McCutchan (22.90) and Ada Szwabinska (22.80) combined to win the event in 1:31.66, about a second ahead of second-place Drexel. East Carolina’s Claire Mowery anchored their sixth place relay with the fastest split of the field at 22.66.
West Virginia’s Abby Reardon was the only swimmer in the field to break 4:50 tonight in the 500, winning with a final time of 4:49.51. Though not a best time, the swim was a season best by over six seconds.
Villanova’s Audrey Pastorek won the 200 IM with a time of 2:00.26, marking a personal best by almost two seconds. Colgate’s Audrey Collins was second, clocking in at 2:01.06.
In the 50 free, Drexel’s Chelsea Gravereaux broke 23.0 for the first time, clocking in at 22.91 to win the event over William & Mary’s Katie Stevenson (23.03).
In the final event of the night (400 medley relay), William & Mary’s team of Kate Vanbourgondien (56.19), Annie Tuttle (1:03.10), Sophia Heilen (53.81), and Stevenson (49.11) took first with a time of 3:42.21.
Men’s Recap:
The West Virginia 200 freestyle relay team of Connor McBeth (20.04), Roberts Zemturis (19.98), Braden Osborn (20.09), and Dylan Melin (20.44) combined to win in a 1:20.55. Drexel’s John Scully anchored their team in a 19.85 for second-place, while Old Dominion’s Noah Wilkes had the fastest split of the event at 19.74.
West Virginia went 1-2 in the 500 free, with Max Nielsen beating teammate William Mullen by 0.02 hundredths to go 4:27.99 and 4:28.01, respectively. Nielsen out-split Mullen by over a second in the final 100 to take the win.
In another close race between teammates, Drexel freshman Sebastian Smith beat teammate Alessio Gianni by a single hundredth, going 1:48.68 and 1:48.69. Gianni closed half a second faster than Smith with a 25.42, but it was not enough to overtake Smith’s breaststroke split of 31.72.
Smith also swam the 50 free, taking on the rare 200 IM-50 free lineup. He placed second behind West Virginia’s McBeth (20.06) in 20.24. Both of his swims were personal bests.
West Virginia decisively won the 400 medley relay, with Justin Heimes (48.51), Adam McDonald (54.65), David Snider (47.84), and McBeth (42.60) combining to win with a 3:13.60, almost two seconds ahead of second place Drexel.