Grove City Invite: Day One

GROVE CITY, Pennsylvania, December 5. THE Grove City College men's swimming and diving team is in first place after the opening night of Grove City's 13th annual James E. Longnecker Invitational in the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool Friday night. Grove City accumulated 528.5 team points through six events Friday night. Washington & Jefferson is second with 305 points.

Four Grove City athletes earned individual wins Friday night. Senior Kyle Grubbs (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) opened the meet by winning 1-meter diving with 210.90 points.

Freshman Alex Mathews (York, Pa./Spring Grove) won the 500 in 4 minutes, 53.38 seconds while sophomore Ben Bowser (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) earned first in the 200 individual medley (1:59.53).

Sophomore Kirk Gagliardo (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township) won the 50 free in 21.28 seconds. He also joined junior Dan Gummel (Springfield, Ohio/Emmanuel Christian), freshman Dave Dombrowski (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) and junior Cam Coppelli (Guys Mills, Pa./Saegertown) on Grove City's victorious 200 free relay team. That foursome posted a victorious time of 1:27.29.

Coppelli, Bowser, Gagliardo and sophomore Clay Beckner (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) capped the session by winning the 400 medley relay in 3:35.05.

Mathews, junior Bennett Keefer (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville), junior Chris Marasco (Washington, Pa./Washington) and sophomore Nick Hamilton (Crescent, Pa./Moon) took second in the 400 medley relay (3:39.68).

Sophomore Josh Kim (Frederick, Md./New Life Christian) placed second in the 500 (4:53.54) while Beckner grabbed third in the 200 IM (2:02.68). Gummel finished third in the 50 (22.03).

The Grove City College women's swimming and diving team is in first place after the first night of action in the 13th annual Grove City College James E. Longnecker Invitational at the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool. The Wolverines earned 336 points Friday night. California (Pa.) is second with 237, followed by Lock Haven at 210.

Grove City opened the swimming portion of the meet Friday evening by winning the 200 free relay in a meet-record time of 1 minute, 38.69 seconds. Freshman Jenny Ryan (State College, Pa./State College), freshman Angela Palumbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity), junior Lauren Baur (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) and junior Sarah Page (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek) combined for the win.

Freshman Kaitlin Riesmeyer (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) won the 500 in 5:14.98 to account for Grove City's lone individual win of the session.

Ryan earned second in the 200 individual medley (2:14.53) while sophomore diver Bethany Johnson (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Calvary Christian) took second on the 3-meter board with 234.80 points.

Ryan, Riesmeyer, Palumbo and sophomore Kate Wilt (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) closed Friday's session by earning second in the 400 medley relay (4:04.94).

Sophomore Jenna Richert (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) placed third in the 500 (5:20.19).

Saturday's action will begin at 10 a.m.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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