CANTON, Ohio – The Penn State Altoona men's swimming team had a strong performance during the three-day Malone University Invitational this Thursday through Saturday at the Branin Natatorium, culminating in a third-place finish for the Lions.

Penn State Altoona amassed a team score of 1,479 points to come in third place out of 14 teams. Oberlin College won the invitational with 2,358 points, and Transylvania University was second with 1,713 points.

Leading the Lions' highlights from the meet were a trio of team record-breaking swims, with two coming from Caden Traggiai (Sarver, PA/Knoch) and one from Adam Marawan (Dubai, UAE/GEMS Dubai American Academy).

Traggiai set a new Lions record in the 400 Yard IM, when he clocked in at 4:25.60 while competing in the 'A' final of that swim, in which he took fourth place. Traggiai's time bests the previous record of 4:26.88, set by former Lion Isaac Swanson on December 7, 2019.

Traggiai's other record came in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle, which he set during the 1,650 Yard Freestyle. Traggiai took third place in the 1,650 with a time of 16:44.44, and his 1,000 Yard time during that event was 10:00.98, which set a new team record. That surpassed the previous 1,000 Yard team record of 10:08.17, set by Swanson in last season's Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championships on February 18.

Marawan set a new team record in the 50 Yard Freestyle. Competing in the 'A' final for that swim, he took seventh place with a time of 21.74, beating Swanson's previous team record of 21.82 set on February 20, 2020.

Other highlights included a fourth-place finish by Marawan, Rocco Solimeo (Harrisburg, PA/Bishop McDevitt), Hunter McMullen (Colver, PA/Central Cambria), and Adam Dotts (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, when they combined for a time of 1:27.82.

McMullen qualified for the 'A' final in the 100 Yard Butterfly, and he took eighth place with a time of 53.31.

Marawan made the cut to swim in the 'A' final of the 100 Yard Breaststroke and proceeded to finish in seventh, clocking in at 1:01.39. Later in the meet, he swam in the 'A' final of the 200 Yard IM and came in fifth place with a time of 1:59.63.

Eugene Heyman (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) earned a spot in the 'A' final of the 100 Yard Backstroke, and he came in eighth place after posting a time of 55.18. He was later the Lions' top finisher in the 200 Yard Backstroke, finishing as the 'B' final runner-up and taking 10th place overall with a time of 2:02.76.

In the 800 Yard Freestyle Relay, the foursome of Traggiai, Dotts, Jack Zisa (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury), and Brian Nguyen (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) posted a total time of 7:39.56 to place seventh. Later, in the 200 Yard Medley Relay, the team of Heyman, Dotts, McMullen, and Marawan came together for a time of 1:38.46 to nab fifth place.

Traggiai placed third in the 500 Yard Freestyle, finishing in 4:52.65.

Dotts had a spot in the 'B' final of the 100 Yard Freestyle, and he finished sixth in his group and 14th overall by posting a time of 49.93.

Nguyen made the cut for the 'A' final in the 200 Yard Breaststroke, and he finished in seventh place by clocking in at 2:18.16.

In the 400 Yard Medley Relay, the group of Heyman, Nguyen, McMullen, and Marawan clinched sixth place with a total time of 3:40.43. Marawan, Solimeo, Traggiai, and Dotts took fourth place in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, finishing in 3:15.26 as a team.

Next up, Penn State Altoona men's swimming returns home to host AMCC foe Penn State Behrend for a dual meet on Saturday, December 2 at 1 p.m.