Worcester, MA --- WPI men's swimming and diving continued its exception run during Day 2 of the NEWMAC Championship meet held on the Engineers' home turf at the WPI Sports and Recreation Center. The 200 freestyle relay team of Ben List (Bedford, MA), Nathan Hughes (Arlington, VA), Erick Burgwardt (Mendon, NY) and Andrew Bauer (Cumberland, RI), who combined win the first men's race of the meet with a time of 1:23.01, which set the pool and program records, as well as meeting the NCAA-B cut standard.
The 200 free relay was WPI's second win ever at the NEWMAC meet, both coming this year as Hughes and Bauer were also part of Thursday night's first place 800 freestyle relay team.
Those two wins have helped propel WPI into second place out of seven teams after Day 2 of the four-day meet. The Engineers' 409.5 points put them behind MIT (572), but WPI sits comfortably ahead of third-place Coast Guard (344).
WPI swapped the 200 free relay lead back and forth with MIT (1:23.05) as the Cambridge Engineers finished just .04 seconds off the lead. Bauer swam the anchor leg in 20.06 to send WPI ahead in a photo finish final touch.
A team of Andrew Kelleher (Poughquag, NY), Jonathan Decelle (Rumson, NY), Ben Collins (Newbury, MA) and Seth MacDonald (Sherrill, NY) also earned points by taking second in the consolation final (1:26.85).
WPI asserted itself in the other Friday relay as well, with a foursome of Powers, Tim Petri (Eksjo, Sweden), MacDonald and List finishing second to MIT in 3:24.54. There was no shame in the runner-up result as the Cambridge Engineers broke the meet record, while WPI met the NCAA-B cut standard.
The Crimson and Gray also took second in the consolation, with a team of Burgwardt, Matt Puksta (Nashua, NH), Eric Spazzarini (Enfield, CT) and Hughes.
List also hit the NCAA-B cut in the 50 freestyle, setting the school record with a time of 20.88 as he finished third. That was the deepest event for the host Engineers as Bauer tied for fifth in 21.23, and Alex Powers (Glocester, RI) grabbed seventh with a time of 21.57. Meanwhile, Burgwardt won the consolation heat in 21.57, which was the eighth fastest time at the meet.
Hughes took 10th in the 500 freestyle (4:49.21), while Nick Houghton (Berkley, MA) (4:44.16) won the consolation heat, posting the eighth fastest time overall.
WPI was also strong in the 200 individual medley as MacDonald broke the school record (8th, 1:55.98), finishing back-to-back with ninth-place Adam McNally (Leominster, MA) and his time of 1:56.02.
Saturday's action will include the 400 individual medley, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay and men's 1-meter dive. Trials are at 10am and finals are at 6pm.
Release by Carl Setterlund - WPI Athletics Intern - Emerson '14
