CANTON, Ohio – The Penn State Altoona men's swimming team ascended two spots on the team leaderboard and finished in fourth place out of 14 teams, after the third and final day of the Malone University Invitational on Saturday at the Branin Natatorium.

After ending Friday's round in sixth place, Penn State Altoona scored 196 points during Saturday's finals session to jump two places in the standings and finish the meet in fourth with a three-day total of 570 points. Division II Gannon University won the meet with 1,738 points, Oberlin College was second with 1,197 points, and Division II Fairmont State University placed third with 636.5 points.

Penn State Altoona started Saturday's finals by nabbing three of the top 14 places in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle. Caden Traggiai (Sarver, PA/Knoch) came in fifth place with a time of 16:41.75, Nick Trabucco (Carlisle, PA/Boiling Springs) took 12th with 17:57.93, and Andrew Miller (Easton, PA/Easton) placed 14th in 18:04.63.

Miller was the Lions' top finisher in the next event, the 200 Yard Backstroke, after he placed 14th with a time of 2:05.88 while competing in the 'B' final. Eugene Heyman (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) swam in the 'C' final and placed 18th with a time of 2:03.84.

In the next swim, the 100 Yard Freestyle, Adam Dotts (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) led the way by coming in 15th place with a time of 48.66 after qualifying for the 'B' final. Shuo Sun (Falls Church, VA/China High Schools) was in the 'C' final, where he placed 18th overall and clocked in at 48.32. Rocco Solimeo (Harrisburg, PA/Bishop McDevitt) also swam the 'C' final and came in 24th place with a time of 50.37.

Brian Nguyen (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) made the cut for the 'B' final in the 200 Yard Breaststroke, and he placed 14th overall after finishing in 2:19.59.

In the next event, the 200 Yard Butterfly, Benjamin Dotts (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) qualified to swim in the 'A' final, where he achieved seventh place with a time of 2:03.18. Hunter McMullen (Colver, PA/Central Cambria) was in the 'B' final, finishing second in that group and 10th overall with a time of 2:03.48.

The Lions capped the invitational by taking fifth place in the final event, the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, where Sun, Traggiai, Lincoln Johnson (Huntingtown, MD/Huntingtown), and Adam Dotts compiled a total time of 3:15.72.

Next up, Penn State Altoona men's swimming will prepare for its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference meet of the season, as the Lions will travel to Erie on Saturday, December 7, to face Penn State Behrend in a 1 p.m. dual.