Pair of Pool Records Fall in 116-87 Victory
CHESTERTOWN, Md. -- Host Washington College recorded the top times in nine of the 11 events en route to its first win over visiting Franklin & Marshall since 1995 as the Shoremen defeated the Diplomats, 116-87, in Centennial Conference men's swimming action this afternoon inside Casey Swim Center. The win broke a 17-meet losing streak to the Diplomats (1-2, 1-1 Centennial) for the Shoremen (2-1, 1-1).
A pair of pool records were also broken during the historic day for the Shoremen. Freshman Pat Elliott (Media, Pa./Salesianum School [Del.]), sophomore Eric Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Lebanon Valley), junior Greg Lee (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial), and sophomore Brent Longenecker (Maytown, Pa./Donegal) opened the meet by winning the 400 medley relay in a Casey Swim Center-record time of 3:38.40. Elliott led off that relay with a 54.28 100 backstroke, making him the program's third-fastest swimmer ever in that event. That was the start of an impressive day for Elliott, whose second-place times of 1:58.56 in the 200 backstroke and 10:26.22 in the 1000 freestyle made him the Shoremen's fifth-fastest and sixth-fastest swimmer in those events, respectively. Elliott missed first place in the 200 backstroke to F&M's Andreas Lair Ferrari by just one one-hundredth of a second.
Junior Austin Yocum (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) accounted for the Shoremen's second pool record of the day, winning the 100 freestyle in 47.57 to become the Shoremen's third-fastest swimmer ever in that event. Yocum also won the 200 freestyle in 1:46.09 and swam the second leg of the 400 freestyle relay, which turned in the fastest time of the race in 3:17.11 as an exhibition entrant. Lee, freshman Jason Mercando (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), and Longenecker comprised the rest of that relay.
Sophomore Lucas Morgan (Allendale, N.J../Northern Highlands Regional) and freshman Brent Hochstein (Townsend, Del./Salesianum School) each won two individual events and finished second in another for the Shoremen. Morgan won the 1000 freestyle in 10:20.97 and the 500 freestyle in 5:00.43 and was second in the 200 individual medley in 2:04.55. Hochstein won the 200 individual medley in 2:00.29 and the 200 butterfly in 2:00.77 and placed second in the 500 freestyle in 5:05.66. His time in the 200 butterfly made him the Shoremen's fifth-fastest swimmer ever in that event.
Burcin added a first-place finish in the 200 breaststroke in 2:17.50, while Longenecker was second in the 50 freestyle in 22.22 and Lee was second in the 200 butterfly in 2:04.45.
Prior to today's meet, the Shoremen's most recent victory over the Diplomats was a 132-73 triumph on November 11, 1995.
The Shoremen return to action one week from today with a 1:00 p.m. non-conference home meet against St. Mary's.
