Pitt swim and dive hosts record-breaking meet

This weekend, Pitt swim and dive welcomed Georgia Tech to Trees Pool for its first home meet of the season. The competition was split between two days. On Friday, the diving team competed in the 1-meter springboard. On Saturday, the diving team competed in the 3-meter springboard, and the swim team competed in individual and relay races. 

1-meter springboard 

On Friday, sophomore Mariana Osorio Mendoza and junior Rachel Dickerson led the pack, consistently earning high scores throughout the rounds. Osorio Mendoza finished first for the women’s team, continuing her dominance as she had won the previous two events she competed in this season. 

Georgia Tech’s Max Fowler and Pitt’s fifth-year Jackson Salisbury were the high scorers by the end of the second and third rounds. Despite fighting an injury so far into this season, senior Cameron Cash hit his stride by the third round, coming third for the men’s team and moving up to second in the fourth round. 

“It’s been an interesting start,” Cash said. “I’m coming back from an injury. I got two bulging discs, so not the best thing to happen. But progress is coming along decently. It’s all about just getting baby steps. They don’t really mean too much. Kind of just getting my progress back, figuring out my groove for later in the season.”

First-year Noah Bernard was the high scorer for the men’s team at the end of the meet, finishing with a score of 376.50. 

Even in his first year, Bernard is finding success. He placed first in the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the 2024 Ontario Provincial Championship in the open and age group events. 

“I think going into the meet, I was definitely a little nervous. You know, the first home meet, and I heard a lot of people were gonna be in the stands. But I just gotta treat it like, ‘It’s whatever, it’s a dual meet,’” Bernard said. “You’re there to have fun. And I do this work because I love it. So I think going into it, definitely feeling nervous, but I always remind myself — just stay positive, stay happy.”

3-meter springboard 

On Saturday, the day began with the women’s 3-meter diving competition. Dickerson again scored high, earning 56.70 points from her first dive.

On the men’s side, Bernard earned huge scores of 8.5 and 9.0 while competing the 305B in the fifth round. 

Bernard and sophomore Chase Marafioto finished in second and third respectively for the men’s team. Osorio Mendoza and Dickerson finished in second and third for the women’s team. 

Osorio Mendoza is currently balancing competing in Pittsburgh and Colombia. She will compete in a national championship for Colombia next week.

“Right now, I’m here, and I’m doing like this, and also, I’m going to Colombia in a week, because first I have a national championship in Colombia, and then I have [other] roles, so I’m training really hard for those competitions,” Osorio Mendoza said.

Swimming

Pitt’s swim team had a historic performance, breaking six pool records this weekend.

Pitt set new pool records in the women’s 200 medley relay, women’s 50 freestyle, men’s 100 freestyle, men’s 200 breaststroke, men’s 400 individual medley and women’s 400 freestyle relay. 

Senior Max Matteazzi set two pool records in the 200 breaststroke and 400 individual medley.
“I think we are doing a good job,” Matteazzi said. “We are working to [win] an ACC [championship] … we are now still completely rested, and I think we are doing a great job moving in that direction. I like [our] practices. I like how we manage it.”

Fifth-year Sophie Yendell set pool records in the 200 medley relay, 50 freestyle and women’s 400 freestyle relay. Yendell and other team members agree that the Panthers’ chemistry makes their team stronger.

“It’s always great to have a men’s and women’s team that are really close,” Yendell said. “And a combined program, we train together, we race together, but the women’s team atmosphere and just culture in general has been amazing. Every year I’ve been here, it’s got better. And it’s the best it’s ever been.”

The women’s team came out victorious, finishing 161-135. But the men’s team fell to the Yellow Jackets with a score of 127-173. Next up, the swim and dive team will compete in the Texas Diving Invitational in Austin from Nov. 15-17.