Relay teams provide final edge
Heading into the final event against Nazareth on Saturday, the men's swimming and diving team needed at least a first and third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay to clinch a win. They got it by less than a second.
The team of Bill Bradley (Dunkirk/Dunkirk), Will Baker (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North), and brothers Graham Jones (Buffalo/Kenmore East) and Liam Jones (Buffalo/Kenmore East) finished just .19 seconds ahead of the second-place relay team from Nazareth. Adam Clouthier (Fairport/Fairport), Ben Chatley (Sanborn/Starpoint), and David Carls (Allegany/Allegany-Limestone) were joined by diver Arron Carlson (LeRoy/Notre Dame) to take third,.49 seconds ahead of the Golden Flyers' fourth-place team.
The performance gathered the team its second win of the season, 152-148.
"It was just a gutsy performance from the men," head coach Arthur Wang said. "We were fortunate to be on the winning side."
Before helping the team to a win, Arron Carlson set a new Steel Hall Natatorium record in the 3-meter dive of 348.75, breaking Eddie Quarantillo's (Canisius) record of 305.10 set in 2014. Carlson also took the 1-meter dive with a score of 301.75.
Baker, Clouthier, and Liam Jones each had first-place finishes on Saturday. Baker took both the 100-yard (49.72) and 200-yard freestyle (1:48.74), but finished second to Jones in the 50-yard freestyle (22.80). Jones's first place finish in the event (22.60) was almost half a second better than his previous best performance (23.00). Clouthier won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.37), besting teammate Jake Favret (Watertown/Watertown) by a tenth of a second (1:02.49).
Diver Rafael Santiago (Middletown/Middletown) took second in the 1-meter dive (280.10), while freshman Phil Tubbs (Jamestown/Jamestown) finished second in the 3-meter (237.95) and third in the 1-meter (257.65).
The team returns to action when they host the Blue Devil Invitational from Dec. 4-6 in Steele Hall.
