December 3, 2010

Grove City leads after opening night

GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College men's swimming and diving team is in first place after the opening night of the two-day, six-team Grove City Winter Invitational. The Wolverines earned 395 team points Friday night in the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool to move into first place. Misericordia is second with 360.

Freshman E.J. Leuschner (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) led Grove City's effort Friday night by winning the 500 in 4 minutes, 59.33 seconds. Classmate James Kintzing (Centreville, Va./Homeschooled) earned second in the 50 free with a time of 22.42 seconds.

Sophomore diver Peter Melnik (Clifton Park, N.Y./Homeschooled) placed third on the 1-meter board with 135.95 points and two Grove City relay teams also finished third in their respective races. Leuschner, junior Collin Foster (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East), senior Dan Wells (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) and freshman Ken Vinyard (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) took third in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:30.77.

Senior Andrew Parry (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley), freshman Noah Walker (Lexington, Ky./Homeschooled), sophomore Garrett Griffin (Parker, Colo./Chaparral) and senior Matt Armstrong (Loudonville, Ohio/Loudonville) took third in the 400 medley relay (3:44.30).

Kintzing, freshman C.P. Dehli (Moneta, Va./Staunton River), sophomore Jon Suchin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and sophomore Ian Smyth (Troy, Pa./Troy) finished fourth in the 400 medley relay (3:44.78). Vinyard finished fourth in the 500 (5:11.89) and sophomore Drew Archibald (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) touched fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:06.18).

Suchin, Parry, Archibald and junior Seth Shaheen (Annville, Pa./Pa. Cyber Charter) finished fifth in the 200 free relay (1:32.00).

Saturday's competition begins at 10 a.m.