MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Angelo Russo, Fausto Huerta, David Dixon and Hunter Armstrong collected West Virginia’s first medals of the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship, at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park on Wednesday.
They took second in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:25.59.
For the WVU divers, both Austin Smith and PJ Lenz took fifth and sixth in the 1-meter springboard to earn all-Big second-team honors. Smith finished with 304.45 points, while Lenz finished with 301.45.
“Tonight was a strong start to the week,” WVU head coach Vic Riggs said. “All of our relay teams improved from our mid-season invitational, which is how you want to start the week. Our divers also did a great job on the boards tonight.”
The championships opened with the WVU women’s team of Ally VanNetta, Mathilde Kaelbel, Morgan Bullock and Julia Nilton taking fifth in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:41.87.
“This was a great first day,” diving coach Michael Grapner said. “I’m proud of the divers and their performances today. This is all new for us, hosting and getting used to the vibe of competition. I think the men handled it very well. This week, I want the divers to focus on attitude, and a positive attitude will produce a positive result.”
In the final event of the day, the WVU men’s 800 freestyle relay team of Armstrong, Max Gustafson, Trayton Saladin and Zach Boley finished in third place, claiming the bronze medal with a time of 6:35.20.
The Big 12 championships continue Thursday, beginning with prelims at 10 a.m. with the finals set for 6 p.m. The meet concludes Saturday.
