MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 14 Tufts University men's swimming & diving team garnered third-place honors out of 11 teams during the three-day NESCAC Tournament on Friday-Sunday, as the Jumbos' compiled 20 top-five finishes in final events at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
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| James McElduff earned first-place honors in the final of the 200 butterfly. |
The Jumbos have finished in the top-four overall at the conference championship in 16 consecutive seasons, dating back to the 2002 NESCAC Championship. The squad has posted a handful of runner-up efforts during that 16-year span.
The Jumbos' compiled 1,391 points this weekend, trailing second-place and No. 11 Amherst (1,402 points) by only 11 points. No. 8 Williams College ran away with first-place honors on Sunday, finishing with 1,671 points. No. 22 Connecticut College (1,331 points) and Bates College (997.5 points) placed fourth and fifth overall, respectively.
"I am very proud of our men," head coach Adam Hoyt said. "They put together great performances each session, while swimming faster and diving better at finals. The NESCAC competition brought out the best in our team and our men stepped up when it mattered most."
Senior captain Matt Rohrer was honored at the conclusion of the meet with Diver of the Year and Four Year High Point Diver honors, while diving coach Brad Snodgrass was recognized with Diving Coach of the Year accolades.
The Jumbos' shattered 10 program records this weekend, with six occurring in individual events and four in relay events. On Sunday, junior James McElduff finished first overall with a program record of 1:49.39 in the final of the 200-yard butterfly (32 points), while sophomore Kingsley Bowen posted a program-best time of 1:46.63 and placed second in the final of the 200 backstroke (28 points).
The relay unit, featuring McElduff, Bowen, junior Lorenzo Lau and freshman Roger Gu, put a stamp on the three-day competition, posting a program-best time of 3:02.80 and earning runner-up honors in the final of the 400 freestyle relay (56 points).
On Saturday, Bowen broke his own record in the 50 backstroke with a time of 22.78, as he led off the Jumbos' relay team during the final of the 200 medley relay. McElduff, junior Zachary Wallace, sophomore Noah Cagley and Bowen posted a program record of 6:44.84 and earned second-place honors during the final of the 800 freestyle relay (56 points). McElduff registered a record-breaking performance during the final of the 400 individual medley (28 points), finishing second overall with a time of 3:57.95.
In opening-day action on Friday, freshman Costa Camerano Spelta Rapini, Wallace, McElduff and Gu recorded a program record of 1:22.02 and placed third overall during the final of the 200 freestyle relay (54 points).
Wallace also shattered the Jumbos' all-time record in the 200 IM, clocking a time of 1:50.67 (27 points) in the finals of the event, while being the third swimmer to touch the wall. Bowen broke the program's record in the 100 backstroke, as he compiled a time of 48.69 when he served in a leadoff role for the Jumbos during the final of the 400 medley relay. Then, Bowen, freshman Eric Shi, Wallace and Gu jumped to the top of the record book, with a time of 3:19.49 and a second-place finish in the final of the 400 medley relay (56 points).
In final-day action on Sunday, Rohrer led the charge, claiming first-place honors in the finals (542.90, 32 points) and the preliminaries (545.70) of the 3-meter diving event, while junior diver Aaron Idelson grabbed fifth-place honors in the finals (403.85, 25 points) and the preliminaries (407.55) of the event.
Gu was the Jumbos' top-performer and placed fifth overall in the final of the 100 freestyle (45.72, 25 points), while sophomore Brandon Jinn was the first Jumbo to touch the wall with a time of 16:21.95 in the final of the 1,650 freestyle (10th overall, 17 points).
Wallace earned a seventh-place nod during the final of the 200 backstroke (1:50.76, 23 points) and Lau placed ninth overall during the final of the 100 freestyle (45.98, 20 points), while freshman Alex Burnam was the Jumbos' top-performer and placed 13th overall in the final of the 200 breaststroke (2:07.16, 14 points).
Next on the radar will be the NCAA Zone Diving Qualifier on Friday and Saturday, as Rohrer and Idelson will represent the Jumbos at the event.
Written by Trevor Wenners, Athletic Communications Intern
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