Worcester, MA --- The WPI men's swimming and diving team posted the best times in all 14 of the swimming events as the host Engineers defeated Wheaton (176-106) and UMass Dartmouth (195-82) in a double-dual meet in the Sports and Recreation Center on Thursday evening. With the sweep, the Crimson and Gray improve to 6-3 on the season, including a perfect 6-0 in their new home pool.
Wheaton knocked off UMass Dartmouth in the other portion of the double dual, 182-84.
The Engineers started the meet off strong with a one-two finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Alex Powers (Glocester, RI), Tyler Greff (Lincoln Heights, NJ), Ben List (Bedford, MA), and Ben Collins (Newbury, MA) found the wall first in 1:40.51. They were followed closely by James Perez-Rogers (Woodstock, NY), Max Arnold (Charlton, MA), Spencer Coffin (Poughkeepsie, NY), and Adam Trumbley (Prospect, CT) in 1:42.39.
Powers went on to swim the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.76) and 100-yard backstroke (58.60) back-to-back, winning the former and taking second in the latter, where he was bested by Perez-Rogers (58.16), who also took third in the 100-yard butterfly (57.24). Greff won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:02.21 and took home fourth in the 50-yard freestyle (23.50), which teammate List won in 22.29. The sophomore also took first in the 100-yard butterfly (55.39). Collins grabbed fourth place in the 100-yard freestyle (52.13).
Adam McNally (Leominster, MA) won a variety of events for the Engineers. He began by taking the 1000-yard freestyle (10:26.71) and the 200-yard backstroke (2:05.63). He finished the meet by touching the wall first in the 200-yard individual medley (2:04.43) and joining Powers, Trumbley, and List to finish first in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:19.90).
Nick Houghton (Berkley, MA) won two tough events in the 500-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly. His time of 4:53.59 in the 500-yard freestyle led a sweep of first through fourth place for the Crimson and Gray. Nathan Hughes (Arlington, VA), the winner of the 100-yard freestyle (49.06), took second at the 500-yard distance (5:01.99). Freshmen Jon Decelle (Rumson, NJ) and Tom Cieslewski (Watertown, CT) touched third (5:21.89) and fourth (5:32.92). Houghton also led a one-two finish in the 200-yard butterfly (2:01.23). Jessie Johnson (Westford, MA) finished second in the event in 2:09.54, along with a third place score in 1-meter diving (166.70). Houghton's final swim of 2:06.96 in the 200-yard individual medley got him to the wall second.
Arnold picked up a win in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:19.10), and placed third in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:45.91). Fellow sophomore Trumbley raced to third in the 100-yard freestyle (51.65). Coffin was fourth in the 200-yard butterfly with an in-season best of 2:10.85.
WPI's other top finishers include Joon-Ho Lee (Hampstead, NH) in the 200-yard backstroke (3rd - 2:09.52), Joe Weiler (Ballston, NY) in the 1000-yard freestyle (4th - 11:07.53), Keith Gagnon (West Hartford, CT) in the 200-yard freestyle (4th - 1:53.85) and 200-yard breaststroke (4th - 2:24.42), and Ben Andrews (Bristol, CT) in 1-meter (4th - 148.75) and 3-meter (4th - 137.80) diving.
WPI is back in action Saturday at Brandeis at 1pm.
