Bentley University junior Colton Bridge (Tolland, Conn./Tolland HS) prevailed in both diving events, but it wasn’t enough as undefeated Keene State College put away the Falcons, 208-90, in men’s college swimming Sunday afternoon at the Dana Center.
Bridge accounted for the Falcons’ only victories during the meet as he swept diving for the eighth consecutive meet. He captured the one-meter in 267.75, with a winning margin of nearly 66 points over Keene’s Cody Fitzgerald. The two finished in the same order off the three-meter board with Bridge posting a 274.57 and Fitzgerald a 241.94.
Sophomore Nick Cilia (Brentwood, N.H./Exeter HS) was third in the two diving events, recording scores of 196.95 from the one-meter and 188.32 from the three.
Freshman Chris Vukas (Randolph, N.J./Randolph HS) had the first of four second-place finishes for Bentley in the meet with a time of 55.96 seconds in the 100 yard backstroke.
Other seconds were earned by senior Janco Cornelius (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield HS) in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.57), sophomore Dennis Witol (Bowie, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt HS) in the 200 breast (2:25.15) and freshman Aiden Karam (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) in the 500 freestyle (5:04.99).
Karam and Witol each also had a third-place finish. Karam completed the 1000 free in 10:36.15 and Witol swam the 200 individual medley in 2:07.98.
Senior Josh Witty (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS) had two thirds for the Falcons, in the 100 backstroke (56.28) and the 200 back (2:03.86).
Two pool records were broken during the meet by Keene junior Shahar Resman (Ashdod, Israel). He captured the 200 free in 1:43.93 and the 500 free in 4:40.67.
Bentley, 5-4, will be back in the Dana Center pool Tuesday for a 6:00 meet against Babson.
Bentley University senior diver Paige Wilde (Naugatuck, Conn./Holy Cross HS) accounted for both Falcon victories during a 215.5-82.5 loss to Keene State College in women’s college swimming Sunday afternoon at the Dana Center.
Thirty-four of Bentley’s points were amassed by the divers with Wilde leading a 1-2-3 finish off the one-meter board with a 234.44. Junior Courtney Stone (Andover/Andover HS) was a close second with a 224.78 and freshman Kayla Ducharme (Chelmsford/Chelmsford HS) took third with a 197.70.
From the three-meter, Wilde defeated Stone by about 25 points, finishing with a 268.19. Stone’s 243.37 was good for second and Ducharme was fourth (158.55).
Two of Bentley’s four seconds in swimming events were achieved by freshman Emily Niemiec (Meriden, Conn./Francis T. Maloney HS) with times of 2:37.16 in the 200 yard breaststroke and 2:16.22 in the 200 individual medley. Niemiec also had a third in the 100 breast (113:21).
The other seconds were earned by sophomore Kaitlin McGahie (Boylston/Tahanto Reg. HS) in the 50 freestyle (26.00) and junior Kelly Culkin (Avon, Conn./Avon HS) in the 1000 free (11:39.46). McGahie’s day also included a third in the 100 free (57.18).
Senior Nadine Edwards (Danbury, Conn./Danbury HS) had a pair of third-place finishes, in the 200 free (2:03.73) and in the 500 free (5:34.76).
Keene State, 5-1, was led by senior Diana Pimer (West Haven, Conn.) and junior Alison Bartlett (Stratham, N.H.). Pimer was a triple-winner (100 breast, 200 back, 200 IM), Bartlett was first to the wall in the 50 and 100 free, and both participated on a winning relay.
Bentley, 5-4, will host Babson College Tuesday at 6 pm.
