The entire meet went back and forth on both sides until Gannon forged ahead for good in the second-to-last event of the evening. On the men's side, the Golden Knights entered the 500-yard freestyle down 14 points. However, three Gannon swimmers swept the event and pushed the squad back into the lead by one point. Luke Curtis (Adelaide, South Australia/Blackfriars Priory) was the first to touch the wall in four minutes and 57.48 seconds. Terrance Coughran (Atwater, Calif./Atwater) and Alex Dovale (Cape Town, South Africa/South African Collage) followed with times of 4:57.67 and 5:03.05.
Allegheny regained the lead during the one-meter diving event, before Gannon jumped back in front for good during the 200-yard breaststroke behind a pair of PSAC-qualifying times from Jared Griffard (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Coeur d'Alene) and MItchel Meighen (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park). Griffard captured first place with a time of two minutes and 15.09 seconds, while Meighen was close behind with a 2:16.67 mark.
Still needing a victory in the final event to win the meet, Gannon's 200-yard freestyle relay team clinched the win with a first-place time of one minute and 29.64 seconds. The four-man crew of Tytus Kwiatkowski (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North), Greg Nelson (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor), Mike Kneidinger (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Ethan Chase (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) ended the meet in grand fashion, accounting for the final 125-112 score.
Six PSAC-qualifying times were met on the men's side. Griffard posted two of those times. In addition to his season-best 200-yard breaststroke result which marked the second time he swam a PSAC time in the event, the junior met the mark in the 400-yard IM with a time of four minutes and 29.73 seconds. Meighen also hit a qualifying time in the 200-yard breaststroke for the second time this season.
Curtis had a PSAC mark for the second time this season in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:12.93), Coughran performed the feat in the 200-yard freestyle for the first time (1:49.40) and Dovale recorded the needed time in the 200-yard butterfly for the second time this season with a season-best time of two minutes and 3.11 seconds.
Individual first-place finishes for the men's team included Curtis in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:12.93) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:57.48), Greg Evanoff (McKean, Pa./General McLane) in the three-meter diving event (194.00) and Griffard in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:15.09).
Gannon also needed to rally on the women's side to secure the sweep. Freshman Katie Vincent (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) gave the Lady Knights a lead in the second-to-last event, winning the 200-yard breaststroke with a PSAC-qualifying time of two minutes and 29.32 seconds. It marked the second time this season she met the conference standard in the event. The victory clinched the team's eventual 126-115 win, taking the heat off the final 200-yard freestyle relay team.
Six first-place finishes and eight PSAC-qualifying times helped the women's team earn the 11-point victory. Megan Beresford (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area) and Diana Rocco (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) gained valuable points in the diving events. Beresford won the one-meter event (274.35) and finished second in the three-meter event 264.97). Rocco was the best in the three-meter event (267.30) while placing second in the one-meter event (270.75).
Steph Graham (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) led the individual results with two times that met conference standards. The freshman had the right pace for the first time this season in the 400-yard IM (4:46.30) and for the second time this season in the 200-yard butterfly. Her fly time of 2:14.19 represented a season-best.
Other PSAC-qualifying times on the women's side included Regina LaRosa (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) in the 1,000-yard freestyle (11:03.25), Ellie Hess (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) in the 200-yard freestyle (2:02.42, season-best), Jackie Rzymek (Erie, Pa./McDowell) in the 50-yard freestyle (25.20, season-best), Kaitlyn Bosy (Courtice, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary) in the 100-yard freestyle (54.74, season-best) and Sarah Lawton (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) in the 200-yard backstroke (2:14.96, season-best). The first four swimmers recorded their conference standard for the second time this season while Lawton performed the feat in the 200-yard backstroke for the first time.
Gannon's 400-yard medley relay team of Lawton, Vincent, Graham and Bosy opened Friday's meet with a victory, combining for a time of four minutes and 8.35 seconds. Other first-place finishes included Graham in the 400-yard IM (4:46.30), Beresford in the one-meter diving event (274.35), Lawton in the 200-yard backstroke (2:14.96), Rocco in the three-meter diving event (267.30) and Vincent in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:29.32).
Both Gannon swimming and diving teams return to action Monday, November 22 at Penn State Behrend. The dual meet is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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