Williams Captures 18th NESCAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Title

NEW ENGLAND SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (NESCAC) – MEN

• Dates: Thursday, February 20-Sunday, February 23, 2020
• Location/Host: Middlebury College – Middlebury, VT
• Defending Champion: Williams
• Live Results: Available here
• Live Video: Available here
• Championship Central
• DAY 4 RESULTS
• COMPLETE RESULTS

Courtesy: New England Small College Athletic Conference

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Williams Ephs won their 18th NESCAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship, totaling 1,987.5 points, the most at a NESCAC Championship meet since 2015 when the Ephs recorded 2,066.5 points.

Tufts finished second for the second year in a row with 1,797.5 points. Amherst (1,386.5 pts), Bates (959 pts), and Colby (931.5 pts) rounded out the top five teams. The Bobcats’ fourth-place finish is the best in program history at the NESCAC meet, while the Mules matched their highest finish in program history at fifth place (2006).

The 1650 freestyle opened the final night of competition. Tufts junior John Lalime won the event with a time of 15:38.87, breaking the Williams pool record that had stood since 1994. Williams senior Andrew Trunsky finished second (15:45.81) for the second year in a row and fellow Jumbo Evan Szablewski placed third (15:45.81). The top nine finishers in the event all achieved NCAA B-cut times.

Amherst senior Craig Smith set a pool record in the morning prelim swims (1:46.88) of the 200 backstroke and captured the NESCAC title with a time of 1:47.63 in the finals, improving on his runner-up performance in 2019. Sophomores Nate Tingen of Tufts and Nick Whitcomb of Williams finished second and third, respectively, with times of 1:49.04 and 1:49.15.

In the 100 freestyle, Tufts senior Roger Gu set a pool record with a time of 43.87 to win the event for the second year in a row. Amherst sophomore Scott Romeyn (44.43) repeated as the runner-up and Jamie Lovette of Williams finished third (44.95). The top four swimmers in the event reached NCAA B-cut times.

In the 200 breaststroke, first-year Jacob Grover posted a time of 1:58.07 to break the NESCAC record, NESCAC Meet record, and Williams pool record. Amherst senior Sean Mebust, the 2019 champion, finished second (1:59.54), and Tufts sophomore Tar Tar Jarusinchai was third (2:03.15). The top seven swimmers all achieved NCAA B-cuts in the race.

The top three swimmers in the 200 butterfly matched the order of finish from a year ago as Williams swept the event for the second straight year. Senior Lucca Delcompare was a repeat winner with a time of 1:48.60 after setting a pool record of 1:48.17 in the prelims. Junior David Pearcy finished second (1:48.84) and sophomore Sean Tan (1:51.44) was third. Both Delcompare and Pearcy posted NCAA B-cut times.

Amherst senior Bennett Fagan completed the weekend sweep of the diving events. He recorded 513.45 points to win the 3-meter event, adding to his victory on the 1-meter board earlier in the championships. Williams first-year Kobe Tray was second (500.95) and Mammoth teammate Tom Amsbry placed third (485.15). The three divers, plus Tufts’ Zachary Lawrence all achieved NCAA B-cut marks.

The always exciting 400 freestyle relay race wrapped up the NESCAC Championships. The Tufts team of first-year Peter LaBarge, sophomore Nate Tingen, junior JJ Batt, and senior Roger Gu combined to break the NESCAC record, the NESCAC meet record, and the Williams pool record with a time of 2:59.52. Amherst was the runner-up (2:59.78) and the Ephs finished third (3:00.59). All three teams achieved NCAA B-cut times.

Individual winners at the 2020 NESCAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships were:
NESCAC Swimmer of the Year & NESCAC Rookie of the Year – Jacob Grover, Williams
Grover is the first swimmer to be named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year at the same meet. Before the inception of the Rookie of the Year Award in 2013, former Eph Will Cunningham won the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year honor in 2003 as a first-year. Grover is the 15th Williams swimmer to be named the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year and is the fourth Rookie of the Year honoree for the Ephs.

NESCAC 4-Year High Point Diver Award & NESCAC Diver of the Year– Bennett Fagan, Amherst
Fagan is the first Amherst diver to earn both honors since Asher Lichtig in 2016 and is the fifth Mammoth overall to garner the 4-Year High Point Diver honor and to be named the NESCAC Diver of the Year. The 2020 meet marks the eighth time both honors were awarded to the same diver.

NESCAC Swimming Coach of the Year – Steve Kuster, Williams
Kuster is the NESCAC Coach of the Year for second consecutive year and the eighth time in his 21-year career at Williams.

NESCAC Diving Coach of the Year – Kai Robinson
Robinson is the NESCAC Diving Coach of the Year for the first time in his career and is just the third Amherst diving coach to garner the honor. Robinson was also named the NESCAC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year.  

NESCAC 4-Year High Point Swimmer Award – Andrew Trunsky, Williams
Trunsky is the 13th Eph to earn the honor and a Williams swimmer has won the award five of the last six years.

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Williams — 1987.5 points
2. Tufts — 1797.5 points
3. Amherst — 1386.5 points
4. Bates — 959 points
5. Colby — 931.5 points
6. Connecticut College — 727.5 points
7. Bowdoin — 675 points
8. Middlebury — 565 points
9. Trinity — 399 points
10. Hamilton — 354 points
11. Wesleyan — 274.5 points

EVENT WINNERS
The top three finishers in each event and the top three relay teams earn All-NESCAC honors
* – NESCAC record; # – NESCAC meet record; % – Samuelson-Muir Pool record