This was the third year in a row that Penn State men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened their seasons in Morgantown, and like the previous two years, the trip was a success.

The two teams competed against West Virginia yesterday, and for both teams, there was reason to feel positive.

The women defeated the mountaineers 146 Ã} to 96 Ã} with an impressive showing by senior captain Jessica Barnes. Fellow captain and senior Claire Hawley also looked impressive, helping the Lions start their season as two-time defending Big Ten champions on the right foot.

On the men's side, although putting up a great effort, the squad fell to West Virginia 137 to 104. Senior Dan Kaiserian helped to lead his team, but in the end it wasn't enough to secure the win.

Head coach Bill Dorenkott was impressed by both teams, and felt that there was a lot of positive things on which to build.

"On both sides I would say that we looked pretty good from top to bottom," he said. "We remained consistent all throughout the lineup, and I think that that is a very good thing, especially at the beginning of the season."

Dorenkott was also quick to reassure his teams that the season is a long road, and that a common mistake made by coaches is to take things too fast.

"To see improvement in sports, it isn't always a sudden change," he said. "Our goal is to get better and better week by week. One common misconception is to treat the season like a sprint. I try to maintain that the season is not a sprint, rather a long marathon."

With both the men's and women's teams preparing for their next match, its focus remains to improve on both speed, and consistency with times. The Lions will resume action next Friday in Charlottesville, VA, as they take on Virginia, Clemson and Virginia Tech.

Dorenkott looks for his teams to improve over the next week, and for the women to continue their winning ways, and the men to get their first victory of the season.

"The season is like reading a good book, and sometimes the first chapter is slow," he said. "As for racing, I think that we are where we should be for this stage in the season, and that's all I can ask of them right now."