Feb. 21, 2008

EAST MEADOW, N.Y.--Senior Kelly O'Hara earns a spot in the finals, as Pitt's women's swimming and diving team completes the prelims in its second day of competition in the Big East Swimming and Diving Championships at Nassau County Aquatics Center.

O'Hara (Voorhees, N.J./Timber Creek) led the Panthers in the 50 free, garnering the seventh seed in the finals this evening. O'Hara touched at 23.36 for third in her heat.

Additionally, four Panthers will swim in the consolation heat of the 50 free. First is junior Stacie Safritt (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), who tied for 12th at 23.75. Senior Brittany Stevens (Peachtree City, Ga./Starr's Mill/Florida State) touched next for 14th at 23.77, while freshman Kristen McMullan (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) stopped the clock at 23.79 for 15th. Earning the final slot was senior Colleen Sullivan (Alexandria, Va./Bishop Ireton) at 23.86.

Sophomore Megan Sculley (Sinking Springs, Pa./Wilson/William and Mary) turned in a top-25 time of 24.02 in the 50 free.

This morning's prelims opened with the 500 free, where both Panthers swimming in the event earned a spot in the finals.

Junior Agnes Mago (Kecskemet, Hungary/Bolyai Janos/Radford) led the Panthers in the 500 free and will swim in the consolation race, as she placed 11th with a season-best time of 4:56.30. Joining Mago will be freshman Katie Cutrell (Ligonier, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic), who clocked in at 4:58.62 for 16th overall.

Then in the 200 IM, junior Ruth Seiffert (Boothwyn, Pa./Garnet Valley) finished fourth in her heat, advancing to the consolation heat with a time of 2:06.08 for 12th place. Also swimming in the same consolation, freshman Sophie Cross (Thornton, Pa./Glen Mills) swam a season-best time of 2:07.27 for 15th.

Freshman Laura Barnes (Pickering, Ont./Dunbarton) just missed the top 16, when she finished at 2:07.50 in the 200 IM.

Tonight's finals includes the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, men's 1M diving and the 200 free 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.