BRUNSWICK, ME – Competing in the final NESCAC Championship meet of his outstanding career, senior tri-captain Johann Schmidt of the Tufts men's swimming & diving team started strong by winning the one-meter diving title on the first day of competition Friday at Bowdoin College's LeRoy Greason Pool.
Schmidt not only won the sixth conference diving title of his career, he did so with the best score he's ever achieved in the event. His final total of 578.15 was a new pool, school, NESCAC and conference championship meet record. He has now earned conference victories in the one-meter three times (2014, 2012, 2011). On Sunday, he will compete for his fourth consecutive NESCAC three-meter title.
The Jumbos earned big points in one-meter diving as freshman Matt Rohrer was also outstanding in his first conference meet. His 528.90 score in the finals was good for third place. Amherst's Colin White, who gave Schmidt his only NESCAC loss in last year's one-meter event, placed second with a 536.55 score.
Jumbo freshman William Metcalfe also had a strong opening day at the NESCAC meet by twice swimming school-record and national B cut times in the 200 individual medley. In the preliminaries his 1:51.63 was 3.46 seconds faster than the previous Tufts record of 1:55.09 set by Chris Vorlicek in 2009. Metcalfe then improved upon that mark with a 1:51.53 in the final for third place at the meet and a national qualifying mark.
Tufts established three new school records in all. Sophomore Michael Winget broke E.J. Testa's 2011 school record of 23.65 seconds in the 50 backstroke. In the preliminaries, Winget swam 23.52 for the new record time. He managed eighth in the final at 23.81 seconds.
Sophomore Cam Simko swam a national B cut in the 500 freestyle. His 4:36.12 time was fourth overall at the race. He had timed 4:36.60 in the preliminaries, which was also a national B time. Tufts had three swimmers place in the top 10 for the event. Sophomore Anthony DeBenedetto took eighth with his 4:41.17 time in the finals. Senior Christian Jones was 16th in the prelims (4:40.81) before speeding it up in the final for a 4:38.98 10th-place effort.
The Jumbos reached the finals in seven events overall. Closing the swimming events on Friday, the 400 medley relay foursome of Winget, senior Andrew Turk, Metcalfe and senior Drew Berman scored fourth with their 3:25.42 time. They had been a bit better in the preliminaries at 3:24.85 for third.
The 200 freestyle relay came in sixth with a 1:25.26 finish. The foursome was sophomore Harry Wood, Winget, Simko and Berman.
Senior Eric Douglas touched seventh overall in the 50 butterfly, timing 23.29 seconds. Berman was just outside the top eight in the 50 freestyle preliminaries with a time of 21.38 seconds for ninth.
Defending champion Williams College holds the lead following day one of the 2014 NESCAC Championship. On a record-setting first day at Greason Pool, the Ephs totaled 636.5 points to lead closest pursuers Amherst (607) and Connecticut College (566).
Action continues on Saturday morning at 10:00 am from Greason Pool with the day two preliminaries.
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