Youngstown State University
Oakland
Five Penguins Win Individual Events in Dual at Oakland
10/3/2026 10:22:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
Rochester, Mich. — Three women and two men won individual events for the Youngstown State swimming and diving teams on Friday and Saturday in a dual at Oakland.
The Penguins, competing in their second meet of the 2026-27 season, also had five new entries on their all-time top 10 performers list against the preseason Horizon League favorites.
Freshman Sage Gillibrand earned her first collegiate victory, winning the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.34. Junior Olivia Sweetman touched the wall first in the 200 free (1:54.74) for another swimming victory, and senior transfer Lexxi Chavez won the 3-meter diving event (217.20) for her first win as a Penguin.
Individual victories for the men's team included Lorenz Beck in the 100 fly (49.46) and Pablo Santos in the 100 free (45.54).
In addition to the individual victories, Youngstown State had three swimmers record a pair of runner-up finishes. Chloe Moore finished 0.02 seconds behind Gillibrand in the 50 free (24.36), and she was also second in the 100 free (52.88). Lily Ho placed second in the 100 (57.20) and 200 back (2:04.60), and Adrian Andres Moreno was the runner-up in the 100 breast (56.19) and 200 breast (2:05.10).
Both of Ho's times in the backstroke were new top-10 entries, and the freshman ranks fourth in the 200 back and fifth in the 100 back. Her 26.48 split to lead off the 200 medley relay was the third-fastest in program history. Moore had the fifth-best 50 fly split at 25.56. For the men, Elijah Dredge topped his time from the season-opening meet in the 200 back with a mark of 1:54.52 to remain 10th in the event in program history.
Oakland won the women's dual 249-102 and the men's contest 261-91.
Women's Top Individual Finishers
First place: Sage Gillibrand - 50 free (24.34); Olivia Sweetman - 200 free (1:54.74); Lexxi Chavez - 3-meter diving (217.20)
Second place: Derin Donmez - 100 fly (59.68); Chloe Moore - 50 free (24.36) and 100 free (52.88); Olivia Sweetman - 500 free (5:05.14); Lily Ho - 100 back (57.20) and 200 back (2:04.60)
Men's Top Individual Finishers
First place: Lorenz Beck - 100 fly (49.46); Pablo Santos - 100 free (45.54)
Second place: Nathan Spetz - 200 free (1:40.64); Rafael Serey-Cormier - 3-meter diving (262.13); Adrian Andres Moreno - 100 breast (56.19) and 200 breast (2:05.10); Valer Kennedy - 200 fly (1:52.06)
Student-Athlete Quotes
"We had a lot of solid swims throughout the weekend. Oakland is always a tough team to compete against, and, even though they still came out ahead, I felt like we held our own really well and showed a lot of grit and resilience. We came in strong on the first day, but I honestly think our energy was even better on day two. Everyone wanted to finish the meet strong and leave an impact before heading home. You could really feel that during the final relays, when both the girls and guys were up cheering and supporting each other. That is probably when our team energy is at its best. Coach Hannah and Coach Ron also continue to make their mark on the program as head coaches. We had event wins throughout the meet, and they continue to bring new ideas, opportunities, and a different outlook to the team. Even though the final score did not go our way, there were still a lot of good things to take from the meet and build on." - Chloe Moore
"We had a terrific second meet at Oakland this weekend. Even though we had some hard weeks of training behind us, and not everyone felt their best, the whole team stood up and showed a lot of enthusiasm and support on the pool deck. We were able to give the reigning Horizon League champions serious competition in all the races. The team posted some amazing times - even a few top-10 all-time program performances, and it is only the second meet of the season. I think this meet proved that we're right on track for what's yet to come this season." - Lorenz Beck
Up Next
Youngstown State will compete at Akron's two-day Zips Classic in two weeks on Oct. 16-17 in the program's final meet of October.
