CLEVELAND, OHIO – The Niagara University men’s and women’s swim teams took to the pool for the first time in 2024 with a dual meet at Cleveland State. The Purple Eagles fell, 151-79 and 155-67, on the women’s and men’s side, respectively.
Women’s Reacap
The women’s team started the afternoon with a strong performance in the 400 medley relay, picking up the win with a time of 3:55.46 as Megan Smith, Alaina Pitton, Shani Fridman, and Megan Jackson secured the top spot for NU.
Smith would later pick up a pair of top-three finishes. The junior took second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:11.22 and third in the 200 breast with a mark of 2:26.77.
Pitton would be the lone Purple Eagle to win an individual event, taking the top spot in the 200 breast with a time of 2:21.66. She would also take third in the 100 free with a time of 54.70.
Paige South recorded a trio of second-place finishes, the first in the 50 free with a time of 24.67, followed by the 100 free with a time of 54.50, before helping the 800 free relay team take second with an overall time of 8:07.74, with South sporting a split of 2:03.50.
Freshman Mary Carl also collected a pair of second place finishes, the first in the 200 free with a time of 1:56.76 and then in the 500 free with a mark of 5:14.41. Fellow first-year Purple Eagle, Fridman, who was a member of the 400 medley relay, earned second in the 200 fly with a time of 2:12.09 and was the first off the block for the 800 free relay team that took third overall.
Avery King and Claire Gorton picked up third place finishes in the 1000 free and 200 free, respectively. King posted a time of 11:00.21 in the 1000 free, while Gorton touched the wall in 1:58.55 in the 200 free.
Men’s Recap
Niagara’s Reid Tichy, Sean Finley, Gio Germano, and Jake Wade earned a second-place finish in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:26.69.
Tichy would finish second in the 200 free, his lone individual event of the day, with a time of 1:43.67, while fellow junior, Finely, finished third in the 200 IM with a time of 1:57.15, followed by a second-place finish in the 200 breast with a mark of 2:04.06.
Wade finished second in the 100 free with a time of 47.19, followed by Nathan Dragon in third and a time of 47.73.
Dragon picked up the team’s lone win on the afternoon with a time of 21.03 in the 50 free.
Freshman Owen Stoneburgh recorded a second-place finish in the 200 back with a time of 1:59.43.
Senior Rowan Markham collected two third-place finishes on the afternoon, the first in the 200 free with a time of 1:46.63, followed by a time of 4:56.42 in the 500 free.
Dragon, Markham, Wade and Tichy would team up for the 800 free relay, posting a time of 7:09.22, good enough for second overall.
Up Next
Niagara will head to Waterloo, Ontario for a dual meet with Waterloo on Saturday, Jan. 13.
