The Youngstown State men's and women's swimming and diving teams kicked off their seasons at the Beeghly Natatorium as they hosted St. Bonaventure for a two-day dual.
The men and women both took home team victories to end a successful day in the pool as the men won with an overall score of 150-148, and the women took home a victory with score of 152.5-147.5.
The diving competition took place on Thursday with a total of six women and seven men competing.
Hanna Held kicked off her sophomore season in dominating fashion, taking home first-place honors in both the women's one-meter and three-meter dives. Held scored 273.68 in the one-meter dive and 272.78 in the three-meter dive. Senior Ellen Linscheid came in second in the one-meter dive, scoring 267.00. Held and Linscheid's one-meter dive scores were good enough for qualification for the NCAA Diving Zones, which will take place this upcoming March. Their scores overcame the 265-point threshold needed for qualification.
Also placing in the top three for the women was Emma Schum in the one-meter dive with a score of 229.43, and Natalie Weissman and Dasha Toth in the three-meter dive, who posted scores of 253.73 and 232.65, respectively.
In the men's one-meter dive, Brooks Adams and Zachary Lao finished fourth and fifth individually, as Adams posted a score of 243.83, and Lao scored 227.10. Adams and Lao finished closely together in the three-meter dive as well, as Adams' point-total of 215.63 was good enough for a third-place finish, and Lao's score of 208.73 gave him a fourth-place finish. Freshman Andrew Miller rounded out the top five in his Penguins diving debut, as he scored 197.03.
The swimming competition took place on Friday in front of a loud crowd and energetic atmosphere.
The men's 200 medley relay team of Jacob Gramer, James Slessor, Lorenz Beck, and Rares Druga picked up the first team win of the day for YSU, as they collectively swam a time of 1:32.13.
Olivia Sweetman notched the first individual win for the Penguins as she won the women's 1000 freestyle with a time of 10:31.82. Gavin Webb followed up Sweetman's performance with a victory in the men's 1000 freestyle, as Webb finished with a time of 9:51.09.
It was a very successful day in the pool for Oliwia Kaniak, as she won three events on the day for the Penguins. Her first victory of the day came in the 100 breaststroke, as she swam a time of 1:06.47. Her next victory of the day came in the 200 breaststroke, as she put together a time of 2:25.63. Her last victory of the day came in the 200 IM, as her time of 2:11.06 just edged out teammate Miriam Frass by just over six-tenths of a second.
Frass was victorious herself on the day in two events, taking home the victory in the 500 free with a time of 5:08.20, and also winning the 200 free by over three seconds, clocking a time of 1:55.74.
James Slessor also racked up two individual victories, winning the 100 breaststroke with a time of 57.05, and also bringing home the win in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:07.07.
Gavin Redden and Jacob Gramer both won one individual event, with Redden taking the win in the 100 free with a time of 46.55, and Gramer winning the 100 butterfly with a time of 49.72.
The Penguin men won the final event of the day as the crew of Druga, Gramer, Redden, and Darren Laing won the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:04.68.
YSU collected second place finishes in nine events as well. The women's 200 relay squad of Anna Kozinska, Kaniak, Ali Ramirez Romero, and Madelyn Mahoney clocked a time of 1:48.55 in their runner-up finish. Also finishing runner-up was Darren Laing in the 100 free and 200 free, Ramirez Romero in the 200 butterfly, Lorenz Beck in the men's 200 butterfly, Jacob Gramer in the men's 50 free, Gavin Webb in the 500 freestyle, and Miriam Frass and James Slessor took home second-place finishes in their respective 200 im events.
Up Next:
The Penguins will be back in action on Oct.4-5 as they take on Horizon League foe Oakland in a two-day dual in Rochester, Mich.
