Feb. 21, 2008

EAST MEADOW, N.Y.--Pitt's 200 free relay team records a NCAA B qualifying time, as the women's swimming and diving team slipped to fourth with 171.5 points on the second day of competition in the Big East Swimming and Diving Championships at Nassau County Aquatics Center.

In the final event of the night, the 200 free relay claimed third with a NCAA `B' time of 1:34.74. The team was made up of senior Kelly O'Hara (Voorhees, N.J./Timber Creek), junior Stacie Safritt (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), senior Colleen Sullivan (Alexandria, Va./Bishop Ireton) and junior Agnes Mago (Kecskemet, Hungary/Bolyai Janos/Radford).

O'Hara was the one Panther from that relay swam in the 50 free finals, where she improved to sixth in the 50 free finals at 23.37.

Just before that race, Safritt won the 50 free consolation heat for ninth overall, improving from 12th in prelims this morning. She stopped the clock at 23.32 to lead four Panthers in the race.

Also moving up from their prelim seedings were freshman Kristen McMullan (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) and Sullivan, who placed 11th (23.70) and 13th (23.72) overall.

Senior Brittany Stevens (Peachtree City, Ga./Starr's Mill/Florida State) rounded out the Panthers with a time of 23.72 for 16th.

In the 200 IM, junior Ruth Seiffert (Boothwyn, Pa./Garnet Valley) finished 13th with a time of 2:06.43, while freshman Sophie Cross (Thornton, Pa./Glen Mills) touched at 2:08.85 for 16th.

Mago and freshman Katie Cutrell (Ligonier, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) swam season-bests times in tonight's 500 free consolation race. First, Mago clocked in at 4:55.96 for 13th, while Cutrell was 16th at 4:58.35.

Friday's prelims include the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back and women's 3M diving.

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