Swim & Dive Off to Fast Start at Penta-Meet

Nov 03 | Women's Swimming & Diving

Stoppa and Walkowiak claim event wins on Day 1

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 3, 2017) – Rutgers swimming and diving claimed two events and bettered five season standards on the opening day of the Rutgers penta-meet against a quartet of former BIG EAST foes at the Rutgers Aquatic Center on Friday evening.

The Scarlet Knights lead Georgetown (121.5-64.5) and Seton Hall (143-43), while trailing Villanova (113.5-72.5) and Pittsburgh (120-66) after 20 of 38 events were raced on Day 1.

Junior Francesca Stoppa and sophomore Federica Greco finished in first and second, respectively, for the second straight time racing the 200-yard butterfly in side-by-side lanes. Stoppa's 2:00.89 is the new fastest time in the event this season while outpacing a pool of 19 at the penta-meet. It was Stoppa's fifth event win of the season.

Meanwhile in the diving well, senior Addison Walkowiak was busy claiming her first 3-meter event of the season with a season-high score of 343.55 and topping the field of 16. Junior Rachel Byrne was close behind in third with 275.50 points.

Rutgers raced off to a fast start on Friday by setting a quicker season time standard in the 200-yard freestyle relay, with sophomore Clare Lawlor, sophomore Meghan Moses, sophomore Alexandra Fabugais-Inaba and senior Karli Rymer dropping over a second from their previous best time this season with a mark of 1:35.55. Fabugais-Inaba made it 2-for-2 to start the meet with new fastest times with her 1:52.33 in the 200-yard freestyle, shaving three-hundredths off her previous best this season and taking sixth place out of the 20 participants.

Junior Vera Koprivova took third of 19 in the 100-yard backstroke, bettering her fastest time of the season by touching in at 56.79.

Other notable finishes included Lawlor placing third in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.87, and the 400-yard medley relay team of Koprivova (back), senior Larissa Neilan (breast), Greco (fly) and Lawlor (free) taking third in 3:50.77.

Day 2 begins at 10 a.m. at the Rutgers Aquatic Center. See here for special parking instructions as the meet takes place on a Rutgers football game day.

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