Wilkinson Wins One-Meter Diving, Jumbos Break Four Records at NESCAC Men's Meet Today

WATERVILLE, ME (February 23, 2024) - Freshman diver Jay Wilkinson won the one-meter title and Tufts University swimmers broke four school records on an outstanding second day for the Jumbos at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Men's Swimming & Diving meet Friday.

Wilkinson, competing at his first conference championship, earned a 502.65 total score in the one-meter finals to win. He had been equally impressive in the preliminaries during the day with a 511.40 score. Adding to the diving highlights, Jumbo freshman Elias Brandt was the runner-up in the one-meter contest with a 454.85 score in the finals.

In the final swimming race of the night, Tufts junior Eric Lundgren, junior Emmett Adams, junior Ethan Schreier and graduate student Peter LaBarge broke the school record in the 400 medley relay with a 3:12.44. The previous mark was 3:13.78 from last year. However, Tufts was edged by Williams College in a great race, with the Ephs establishing a new conference record of 3:12.28 in the event. Tufts earned two NCAA "B" cut qualifying marks in the race, with sophomore Jack Madden, sophomore Charlie Duffy, junior Soeren Euvrard and sophomore Armaan Sikka also recording a 3:16.93 finish.

Freshman Rafae Shafi broke the school record and was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle tonight with a 4:25.12 mark. He had originally set a new record in the morning preliminaries with a 4:28.16 that erased the six-year old previous school mark of 4:31.79 held by Tyler Tatro from 2018. Freshman Dan Godino scored ninth tonight (4:33.53) - winning the consolation final - and senior Eli Houlton took 12th (4:37.61).

Adams also broke a record in the morning with his 24.94 in the 50 breaststroke prelims, improving upon his own school standard (25.32) set last year. He was then third in the final tonight at 24.99. Will Kaminski proved more solid freshman scoring with his 25.60 for seventh in the 50 breast, and junior Darrien Johnson scored 11th at 25.45 seconds.

Sikka also improved his own school record with tonight's 21.89 in the 50 butterfly finals. He had set the original mark of 22.01 seconds last year. Fifth in the race tonight, he was followed by Euvrard who came in seventh at 22.84 seconds.

Tufts had started the finals session with a runner-up time of 1:20.45 in the 200 freestyle relay, just 0.10 off the school record. LaBarge, senior Will Stearns, Duffy and Euvrard were the foursome for the Brown & Blue.

The Jumbos had three score in the top seven of the 50 backstroke tonight, led by Lundgren's 22.54 for third place. Freshman Oliver Grossman (22.72) and Madden (22.74) touched nearly simultaneously for sixth and seven place, respectively.

LaBarge added another All-Conference performance in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.22 seconds for third place. Right behind him was Stearns in 20.41 seconds for fourth. Both were NCAA "B" cuts.

For the 200 individual medal, Duffy was Tufts' top finisher in sixth place (1:51.56) and Schreier added 15th-place points with his 1:52.56 mark.

The Jumbos are currently second at the meet with 688 points, behind WIlliams College's 811 score. Bates College is in third place with a 452 score.

Other NCAA B marks recorded today were Shafi in the 500 free, the 200 free relay, Wilkinson and Brandt's one-meter diving scores and Lundgren's 100 backstroke to lead off the 400 medley relay.

Saturday's action starts with preliminaries at 10 AM and includes three-meter diving trials at 2 PM and finals starting at 5:45 PM.