March 1, 2009

MIT Captures Fourth NEWMAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championship Title

NORTON, MA- Two-time defending New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's swimming & diving championship runner-up Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) captured its first league title since 2003 and fourth overall on Sunday at Wheaton College's Balfour Natatorium to cap the three-day meet. With 1,030 points, the Engineers outdistanced second-place United States Coast Guard Academy, which had won the past three NEWMAC crowns and finished with 784.5 points. Springfield College totaled 613 to round out the top three.

Following the competition, MIT junior Rastislav Racz (Bratislava, Slovakia/Metodova) was named NEWMAC Swimmer of the Year, Engineer freshman Tim Stumbaugh (Loveland, CO/Mountain View) earned top rookie honors, and Springfield sophomore Brian Sobel (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) earned diver-of-the-year honors after taking both the one- and
three-meter events.

Of the seven events contested on Sunday, MIT won four and took second in two more. Sophomore Michael Dobson (Houston, TX/Cypress Falls) opened the night by surpassing a provisional standard for the NCAA Championship during a 1,650-yard freestyle victory, while senior Laurent Charpentier (Aigues-Mortes, France/INSA Lyon) followed suit with a B cut in a 100 free triumph, setting meet and pool records. In the 200-yard breaststroke, Racz recorded NEWMAC Championship and pool records while reaching provisional status, and he also notched a B cut in the opening 100-yard leg.

MIT also captured the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, behind NEWMAC meet and open marks and a pool record, as the time provisionally qualified the Engineers for NCAAs. Charpentier, senior Peter Wellings (Palm Harbor, FL/Palm Harbor University), junior Luke Cummings (Sturgeon, Bay, WI/Sturgeon Bay) and freshman Andrew Pierson (Wauwatosa, WI/Marquette) combined for the performance.

Clark University freshman Ryan Garr (Kingston, RI/South Kingstown) won the 200-yard backstroke while notching a pool record and a B cut, and just behind him was MIT's Stumbaugh in second place, also with a provisional time. During the 200-yard butterfly, WPI freshman Andrew Lybarger (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) earned the victory behind a pool record and a B cut, while sophomore teammate Mason Ruffing (Stone Mountain, GA/Parkview) notched a provisional mark in third. Between them was MIT freshman Matt Chapa (Baytown, TX/Ross S. Sterling), who met a B cut.

Springfield divers took both all-conference spots during the three-meter event, as Sobel followed his one-meter victory on Saturday with a pool record and automatic qualifying mark on Sunday for NCAAs. Junior Matt Fitzgerald (Pelham, NH/Lowell) also posted an AQ for the national meet while taking second.

Coast Guard sophomore Michael Carman (West Windsor, NJ) notched a B cut during a second-place finish in the 200 breast, and junior Timothy Berry (Houston, TX) reached a standard in the 200 back. The Bears' 400 free relay, which was comprised of senior Jim Okorn (Euclid, OH), junior Eric Schwartz (Barnesville, OH) and freshmen Daniel Beshoar (Kildeer, IL) and Johnson Knox (Starkville, MS), recorded a B cut.

During a fast 100 free race, four competitors beyond Charpentier reached NCAA times, including Springfield senior Greg Pearsall (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield), the runner up, and sophomore teammate Andrew Blakesley (West Springfield, MA/West Springfield). MIT's Cummings and Coast Guard's Okorn also accomplished the feat. Blakesley and Pearsall were part of a 400 free relay team that notched a B cut and took second, joining senior Anthony Bruno (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) and junior Matt Manoni (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield).

For complete results, click here.

Team Standings
1. MIT                           1,030 points
2. Coast Guard Academy    784.5 points
3. Springfield College 613 points
4. WPI                          365 points
5. Wheaton College           360 points
6. Clark University        341 points
7. Babson College        243.5 points

1st Place (All-NEWMAC 1st Team)
1,650 freestyle Michael Dobson               MIT                15:53.15 B
200 backstroke        Ryan Garr                       Clark        1:51.66 B
100 freestyle           Laurent Charpentier       MIT                 45.16 B
200 breaststroke     Rastislav Racz                MIT                 2:03.77 B
200 butterfly            Andrew Lybarger           WPI          1:52.84 B
3M diving                  Brian Sobel                    Springfield      540.60 A
400 freestyle relay                                         MIT           3:03.07 B
       Peter Wellings, Luke Cummings, Andrew Pierson, Laurent Charpentier

2nd Place (All-NEWMAC 2nd Team)
1,650 freestyle Alexander Brown            Coast Guard   16:36.74
200 backstroke Tim Stumbaugh              MIT           1:52.08 B
100 freestyle           Greg Pearsall                 Springfield      45.53 B
200 breaststroke     Michael Carman             Coast Guard   2:07.71 B
200 butterfly            Matt Chapa                    MIT                 1:53.75 B
3M diving                  Matt Fitzgerald              Springfield      465.65 A
400 freestyle relay                                       Springfield      3:04.00 B
       Anthony Bruno, Andrew Blakesley, Matt Manoni, Greg Pearsall

A - Denotes NCAA Division III National Championship qualifying A standard (automatic)
B - Denotes NCAA Division III National Championship qualifying B standard (provisional)