The men’s swimming and diving team is rounding into form following winter break, having traveled to Maine this past weekend to take on Colby and Bowdoin at Colby. The Cards lost a close battle to the Colby Mules, while defeating Bowdoin 148-131. Senior distance ace Ben Byers ’07 once again led the charge, notching victories in two of his signature events, the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle races. Byers’ times of 4:45.61 in the 500 and 9:40.30 were good enough to set Colby pool records, and his time in the 1000 ranks first in the NESCAC so far this year. Also enjoying stellar meets were Mike Pepi ’08 and sophomore diver Dave Wilkinson ’09, notching victories in the 100-yard freestyle and the one-meter diving events, respectively.
Prior to winter break, the Cards wrecked the Trinity Bantams despite the absence of several key swimmers including co-captains Matt Donne ’07 and Ben Byers ’07. After a brief respite for holidays and New Years, the Cards reconvened at Wesleyan on Jan. 2 and headed off to Puerto Rico for their annual training trip. During the training trip it is not unusual for the team to log over 10,000 yards in a day, a distance equivalent to roughly six miles.
After returning from Puerto Rico, the team took on NESCAC rivals and perennial powerhouses Tufts and Williams at the Williams College Natatorium. Despite coming up just a bit short against both teams, there was no shortage of spectacular swims, highlighted by distance king Ben Byers’ win in the 1,650 yard freestyle by a scant .09 seconds over his arch-rival, Williams’ Steve Spinelli. Such small margins of victory are unheard of in the event, which usually lasts over 16 minutes.
The Cards then moved on to in-state rivals Connecticut College, along with Colby-Sawyer College and Clark College for a tri-meet. The Cards whooped Colby-Sawyer and Clark to the tune of 100 point margins of victory while falling to the Camels for the first time ever, thanks to Conn’s incredible freshman class.
Next up for the Cards is the Coast Guard Academy on Feb. 3 at home. The meet starts at 1:00 p.m. and Coast Guard is always tough, so take a break from reading and come cheer on the team as they continue their march towards the NESCAC Championships.
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