Simon Hits NCAA B Cut; Lions Fall To Westminster

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Dan Simon (Harrison City, PA/Penn Trafford) hit an NCAA "B" cut time while winning 100 backstroke, but the Penn State Behrend men's swimming and diving team fell to Westminster 155-105 in non-conference action on Saturday.

Simon reached an NCAA "B" cut time in just his second meet of the season and was five tenths of a second away from breaking the Titans pool record in the same event. The senior also won the 100 freestyle event with a time of 48.80.

Simon, Nick Roth (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin), Jacob Ekas (Erie, PA/McDowell) and Nick Kost (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge) were the winning foursome in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:22.93. Roth, Simon, Ekas joined Blair Carson (Wellsboro, PA/Wellsboro) in the opening 200 medley relay for a third-place time of 1:41.74.

Eric Matteson (Corry, PA/Corry) was the top finisher for the Lions in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. The sophomore placed second in the 200 with a time of 2:23.19 and third in the 100 in 1:04.51.

In the 1000 freestyle, Ryan Mitcheltree (Moon Township, PA/Moon) earned second overall with a time of 10:57.88.

Individually, Roth picked up a pair of third-place finishes for Behrend. He tallied a time of 2:04.73 in the 200 butterfly and touched in 5:12.38 in the 500 freestyle.

Kost led a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 IM. He won in 2:02.84 and Ryan Elsey (Hermitage, PA/Hickory) was second (2:16.30). Lloyd Koester (Edinboro, PA/General McLane) was third in 2:21.40. Kost was also runner up in the 200 backstroke, touching in 2:01.44, while Ryan Siggins (Erie, PA/Iroquois) led the Lions in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:57.38 for third.

In the 100 butterfly, Scott Romanko (Plum, PA/Plum) and Manny Meinen (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) were 1-2 with times of 1:01.74 and 1:03.03, respectively.

The Lions return to action on Saturday with their home opener against Allegheny, beginning at 1 p.m.