Team Effort Lifts Lions Past Pitt-Bradford

BRADFORD, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's swimming and diving team won seven out of the 11 events to defeat Pitt-Bradford 111-84 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Friday night.

It was a total team effort for the Lions, getting six individual winners to hand the Panthers their first dual-meet loss of the season.

The first four events belonged to Behrend starting with the 400 medley relay that set a new pool record. Daniel Simon (Harrison City, PA/Penn Trafford), Justin Pritchard (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley), Clay Altemose (Apollo, PA/Apollo-Ridge) and Everett Sargent (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland) touched in a record-setting time of 3:43.63 for first place.

Brian Mong (Franklin, PA/Franklin) then won the 1000 free for the Lions in a time of 10:34.18, before Josh Schwab (Bradford, PA/Bradford) placed first in the 200 free in 1:53.57. Simon followed in third (1:55.35).

In the 50 free, Hunter Backenstose (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East) touched first in 23.70 and Jake Sherk (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown) was third in 23.93.

Ryan Mitcheltree (Moon Township, PA/Moon) led a 1-2-3 finish for Behrend in the 200 butterfly. He clocked in at 2:05.19 for the winning time. Altemose was second (2:07.41) and Dane Dombrosky (Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt. Pleasant) took third.

The Lions won the 100 free thanks to Peter Blazak (Sewickley, PA/Quaker Valley). The sophomore tallied a time of 50.66 and Andrew Opalewski (Slippery Rock, PA/Slippery Rock) was a close second in 51.38. The next event, the 200 backstroke, was won by Simon in 2:02.78. Eric Peirce (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley) followed in second (2:07.59).

After winning the 200 butterfly, Mitcheltree took second in the 500 free (5:20.57) and Justin Seeley (North East, PA/North East) had a time of 5:34.85 for third.

Transfer Javier Solivan (San Juan, Puerto Rico/UHS) led the Lions in the 200 IM with a second-place finish (2:06.64). Pritchard and Mong earned points with a third and fourth place, respectively.

Behrend returns to action tomorrow against Mt. Union. Meet time is 1 p.m.