Feb. 20, 2008

EAST MEADOW, N.Y.--Out of 26 divers, two Panthers from the swimming and diving squad advanced to the finals of the 1M diving event on the first day of the Big East Championships, held in Nassau County Aquatics Center.

Earning the sixth seed for Pitt was sophomore Alyssa Ferraro (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood), scoring 236.05 points in prelims. Additionally, sophomore Margo Ekstrom (Erie, Pa./McDowell) placed seventh in prelims with a score of 227.95.

Junior Sabrina Jennings (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) just missed to the top eight, round out the top 10 with 215.00 points.

Freshman Morgan Speece (Reading, Pa./Wilson) and freshman Mallory Mullady (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest) placed in the top 15, while sophomore Hanna Bratton (Lincoln, R.I./Moses Brown) scored 198.95 points for 19th.

Tonight's lineup of events includes the finals for the 800 free relay, the 1M board and the 200 medley relay.

The four days of action at the Big East Championships can be viewed at www.bigeast.org for a one-time fee of $9.95.