Lions Capture Fredonia State Invite Again

FREDONIA, NY – The Penn State Behrend men's swimming and diving team repeated as champions of the Fredonia State Blue Devil Invitational, earning 890 points for first place and breaking three pool records on the final day.

The Lions, who finished in first place last year with 895 points, were five points shy of breaking that total. Behrend won five out of the eight events remaining today, starting with the opening 200 medley relay.

Clay Altemose (Apollo, PA/Apollo-Ridge), Dan Simon (Harrison City, PA/Penn Trafford), Hunter Backenstose (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East) and Justin Pritchard (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) set a new pool record with a time of 1:34.53.

After Andrew Neder (Fairview, PA/Fairview) took third in the one-meter diving (353.25), Javier Solivan (San Juan, Puerto Rico/UHS) hit the wall in the 200 free with a time of 1:43.69 for first place. Drew Werner (Hampton, PA/Hampton) also tallied points in the 200 free with a fifth-place finish (1:49.22).

Altemose followed with another first place in the 100 butterfly, breaking his own pool record with a new time of 51.70. Dan Safford (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) came in eighth (57.54).

Simon was a part of the final two victories for the Lions. He won the 100 backstroke in 51.86 with Altemose a close second in 52.85. They both broke the pool record held by Altemose and as a team Behrend had five swimmers in the top eight in this event.

Simon joined Solivan, Backenstose and Jake DesRoches (Fairfax, VA/WT Woodson) for the record-setting 400 free relay team. The group broke an old record set by the Lions in 2010 with a time of 3:11.99.

In the 400 IM, Eric Peirce (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley) finished third in 4:33.21 and Steve Torre (McDonald, PA/South Fayette) was eighth (4:43.12).

Individually for Pritchard, he had the best Behrend finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:14.25 for fourth overall.

The Lions return to the pool on Saturday at Westminster. Meet begins at 1 p.m.