Feb. 23, 2007

PITTSBURGH--Senior captains Andrea Shoust and Kristin Brown earned Big East titles at the 2007 Big East Championships, leading the women's swimming and diving team to a fourth-place finish.

 

The Panthers were led by Shoust (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/White Pines C&VS), who claimed her first-ever individual championships in the 100 and 200 back events. Shoust became the first Panther to sweep both backstroke events since Sandy Albright accomplished that feat in 1987.

 

Shoust also added two school-records to her resume in the process, posting times of 54.74 during the prelims of the 100 back and tying Carolyne Savini's 2003 record in the 50 back (26.03) during the 200 medley relay.

 

Shoust recorded a NCAA provisional mark in the 200 back, as well.

 

Brown (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs), who was honored as a 2006-07 Big East/Aeropostale student-athlete by the league, also made quite a splash during the championship meet. Brown repeated as the 200 free champion and was a part of three record setting performances.

 

Brown's records were in the 200 free (1:47.44), 500 free (4:48.84) and as a member of the 800 freestyle relay (7:19.14) team. She also recorded a NCAA provisional time of 50.46 in the 100 free, where she placed third in the finals.

 

Joining Brown on the 800 free relay team were sophomores Stacie Safritt (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), Ruth Seiffert (Waterloo, Ont./Bluevale Collegiate) and Agnes Mago (Kecskemet, Hungary/Radford).

 

Shoust and Brown are under qualifying times from the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

 

Safritt placed seventh in the finals of the 100 free and recorded her first NCAA provisional mark in the prelims with a time of 50.96. She also finished sixth in the finals of the 200 free at the 1:49.58 mark.

 

Junior Kelly O'Hara (Voorheees, N.J./Timber Creek) joined Shoust, Brown and Safritt on Pitt's 200 free relay team that recorded a NCAA provisional mark.

 

Another Panther setting NCAA provisional marks included Mago, who turned in third and fourth-place times in the 200 fly (2:01.81) and 400 IM (4:21.95), respectively. Her time in the 200 fly ranked as the best of the season and set the B cut time.

 

After setting a school record in the prelims of the 200 breast (2:17.91), Seiffert placed sixth in the finals. Her record in the 200 breast was nearly two seconds faster than the previous mark set by Lindsey Tiberio in 2004 at 2:19.72. Seiffert also garnered a third-place finish in the consolation heat of the 400 IM (4:26.55).

 

Freshman Ryann Kishbaugh (Danville, Pa./Danville) competed in her first-ever Big East Championships and set a freshman record in the 200 back (2:02.73), last held by Savini in 2001 at 2:02.86.

 

On the 1M diving board, freshman Margo Ekstrom (Erie, Pa./McDowell) finished with 236.45 points and took sixth in her first-ever Big East Championships.

 

On Saturday, Feb. 24, members of the squad will travel to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State Last Ditch meet.