Swimming and diving: Women break 10 records, men break 5 as both teams dominate Duquesne

The City Game between Pitt and Duquesne’s swimming and diving teams might not receive the hype… The City Game between Pitt and Duquesne’s swimming and diving teams might not receive the hype that the basketball rivalry does, but that didn’t slow down the Panthers, who had an excellent showing at the home of the Dukes on Saturday.

“We don’t have a rivalry in swimming like in basketball,” head coach Chuck Knoles said. “We compete with Duquesne because it makes an easy travel meet against a Division I opponent.”

While the Panthers were technically the away team, both the men’s and women’s teams secured victories and set several Duquesne pool records in the process.

“We had a load of good swims,” Knoles said. “The ladies walked away from the meet with ten Towers Pool records and the men set five pool records.”

Senior Ryann Kishbaugh, named Performer of the Meet for Pitt, contributed two record-setting swims in both the 100-meter (57.46 seconds) and 200-meter backstroke events for the women, who beat the Dukes 199.5-60.5.

Kishbaugh helped lead other young members of the women’s team to find their way into the history books, as three freshman swimmers broke Duquesne pool records.

In a performance similar to Kishbaugh’s, freshman Kelsey Herbst also set local pool records with victories in the 1000-meter (10:08.28) and 500-meter (4:59.22) freestyle races.

Recently, junior Laura Barnes was named Big East Swimming and Diving Female Athlete of the Week, and she continued her success in the 100-meter breaststroke, winning the event in a pool-record time.

Still, Knoles believes that there is room for improvement in Barnes’ swimming.

“I was pleased with the record, but it was a bit off of where she and I thought she would be,” Knoles said. “She is focused on the Big East Conference Championships at this point of the season and preparing to swim fast enough there to make the NCAA Championships.”

The men’s squad defeated Duquesne 161-99 and also had its share of stellar performances.

Freshman Adam Maczewski’s 50.05 time in the 100-meter backstroke not only set a pool record, but also qualified as a top-10 Big East finish in that event.

In a meet where the Panthers dominated the Dukes, the men’s relay teams opened and closed the day with record-setting victories.

The 200-meter medley relay team, consisting of Maczewski, Jon Buchanan, Jake Lucas, and Andrzej Dubiel, won the first event of the day (1:32.84).

Coming full circle, the 200-meter freestyle relay team finished the meet with a 15th and final Duquesne pool record. Otto Pagel and Justin Corvin joined Dubiel and Lucas in this first-place quartet.

With only two remaining meets before the Big East Championships, Knoles is optimistic about his team’s performance in the pool.

“We are swimming very well right now, much better than we have most of the year,” he said.

Both Panther squads will compete at Virginia on Saturday in a meet that Knoles claims will test the team’s “mental toughness.”

“We are a bit mentally weak at times, but we have made big improvements in that regard from this point last year.”