West Virginia splits dual meet against Cincinnati

A WVU swimmer competes in the freestyle at the 2022 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships at the WVU Aquatic Center at Mylan Park. (Photo: Anjelica Trinone)

by: Charles Montgomery, WVU Athletics

Posted: Oct 28, 2023 / 02:40 PM EDT

Updated: Oct 28, 2023 / 02:40 PM EDT

The West Virginia University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams split a dual meet against Cincinnati on Saturday at the Keating Aquatics Center in Cincinnati.

The men’s team (1-1, 1-0 Big 12) followed up a strong showing on Friday night with an even better performance on Saturday, defeating Cincinnati, 191-162. The women’s team (0-2, 0-1 Big 12) fell to Cincinnati, 241-112.

“It was a very good meet,” head coach Vic Riggs said. “The team responded well after Friday and our divers got us going today. Our goal is to get better every meet and we did that on the road against a good team. Now we will get ready for our invitational.”

Overall, the men’s swimming team won six events with senior Danny Berlitz leading the way once again. Berlitz won two events on Saturday, including the 200-yard individual medley (1:48.39) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:02.01).

Junior Conner McBeth followed up his victory in the 50-yard freestyle event on Friday night as he set a record at the Keating Aquatics Center, winning the 100-yard freestyle (44.39) event.

Senior William Mullen had the other individual victory for the men’s team as he won the 1000-yard freestyle event (9:23.87).

The Mountaineers also won the 200-yard medley relay (1:29.76) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (2:58.62). The relay team comprised of Berlitz, McBeth, sophomore Max Nielsen and senior Roanoke Shirk set a pool record at the Keating Aquatics Center in the 400-yard freestyle relay event.

West Virginia found success in the diving well as junior Glenn Eloriaga won the men’s 3-meter springboard (311.10). Freshman Owen Recker finished in second with a final score of 302.63.

For the women’s team, junior Mia Walters earned her second victory of the weekend in the 200-yard butterfly (2:05.17). Sophomore Mia Cheatwood also won the 200-yard breaststroke (2:18.09) event.

In the diving well, junior Sarah Krusinski continued her dominance, winning the 1-meter women’s springboard (253.20).

West Virginia returns to the pool when it hosts the WVU Invitational on Nov. 15-18, at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park in Morgantown.