Bucknell Sweeps George Mason

Daniel Fletcher (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) won the 100-yard backstroke, 100 freestyle and 200 individual medley, and the Bucknell men’s swimming and diving team outscored George Mason by 24 points in the final two swimming events to defeat the Patriots 166-132 Saturday afternoon at Kinney Natatorium. It was the first scored meet of the season for the Bison, who improved to 1-0.
 
Bucknell totaled seven victories in the 16 events Saturday, but used its depth to defeat the Patriots. The Bison claimed two of the top three spots in all 14 of the swimming events as they won their first non-league dual meet since last November against Duquesne.
 
Fletcher’s team-high three victories led the way for Bucknell. He won the 100 back in 51.76 seconds, finishing two spots ahead of teammate Gonzalo DeLeon (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional). Later, Fletcher won the 100 free in 46.53 seconds, and followed that up with a 1:56.62 to win the 200 IM, one spot ahead of teammate Billy Krause (Huntington Bay, N.Y./Saint Anthony’s). Fletcher was also a member of the 400 free relay quartet, giving him four total victories on the day.
 
Bucknell was strong in the sprint freestyle events, winning the 50 free (Eric Sokolosky), 100 free (Fletcher) and 200 free (Matthew Segar). Segar led a 1-2-3 sweep of the 200 free for the Bison. He took first in 1:43.41, while Christian Treat was second in 1:44.37 and Matthew Stevens (Laurel, Md./James Hubert Blake) took third in 1:46.02.
 
DeLeon posted the other Bucknell victory, winning the 200 back in 1:53.61. David Iselin (Potomac, Md./Churchill) came in second in that event, his lone top-three finish of the day.
 
Bucknell led George Mason (2-2) by just 10 points (136-126) going into the final two swimming events, but the Bison took four of the top five spots in the 200 IM and then finished one-two in the 400 free relay to win by the comfortable 34-point margin.
 
Freshman David Magaro (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro Area), the lone diver for the Bison, finished second off the one-meter board and third off the three-meter.
 
Bucknell will continue its season-opening homestand next Saturday when it hosts Duquesne at Kinney Natatorium at 2 p.m. The Bison defeated the Dukes 158-130 last year.



Molly Goebel (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) won three individual events and helped the 200-yard medley relay squad to a victory as she led the Bucknell women’s swimming and diving team to a 185-115 victory over George Mason Saturday afternoon at Kinney Natatorium. It was the first scored meet of the season for the Bison, who claimed nine of the 16 events and finished 1-2-3 in three different events.
 
The school record-holder in the 50 free, Goebel won that event in 24.05 as Bucknell took three of the top four places. She also won the 100 free and 100 butterfly in addition to swimming the third leg of the medley relay victory.
 
Abigail Atkinson (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) joined Goebel with multiple individual wins, finishing first in the 100 back and 200 back. Both times she led a Bucknell sweep of the first three positions. She was also part of the 400 free relay that finished the meet with a win for the Bison, giving Atkinson a total of three victories.
 
Freshman Anna Griest (Atlanta, Ga./The Westminster School) led a 1-2-3 sweep of the 1,000 free and Megan Mongan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) claimed the 200 free, rounding out the list of Bison winners Saturday. Mongan also took second to Goebel in the 100 free and was part of the winning 400 free relay unit, while Griest posted a runner-up showing in the 500 free, leading a group of four straight Bison finishers.
 
Allison FitzPatrick (Berwyn, Pa./Episcopal Academy) paced Bucknell (1-0) in the diving events, finishing second off the one-meter board (230.70) and third off the three-meter board (251.48). Her three-meter score was a new career best and ranks third on Bucknell’s all-time list.
 
George Mason fell to 1-3 this year with the loss on Saturday.
 
Bucknell will continue its season-opening homestand next Saturday when it hosts Duquesne and Saint Francis (Pa.) in a tri-meet at Kinney Natatorium. The meet is slated to begin at 2 p.m.