Junior Andrew Bauer (Cumberland, RI) and freshman Jack Bauer (Cumberland, RI) helped account for six of the Engineers eight victories as the WPI men’s swimming and diving team cruised past Division I Providence, 201-86, and was upended by NEWMAC foe Coast Guard, 157.5-140.5, in a Saturday afternoon double dual.
Sophomore Randy Melanson (Attleboro, MA) set the school record in the 1-meter dive with a winning score of 257.95 and Jack Bauer established a new Coast Guard pool record in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 51.42. Jack Bauer also won the 100-yard backstroke (52.90) tied for the top spot in the 50-yard freestyle (22.23).
Andrew Bauer swept the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events with times of 48.06 and 1:44.71, respectively. He was also the anchor on the winning 400-yard freestyle relay team along with senior Nathan Hughes (Arlington, VA), sophomore David Smallwood (Bangor, ME), and senior Alex Powers (North Scituate, RI). The quartet collaborated to turn in a time of 3:13.04. Earlier in the day, Powers collected a victory in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:58.68.
The 200-yard medley relay team of Jack Bauer, junior Andrew Kelleher (Poughquag, NY), Smallwood and Andrew Bauer opened the meet with a second-place time of 1:36.25. Individually, Powers was second in the 100-yard backstroke (54.27), as was Kelleher in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.49) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:14.15), junior Seth MacDonald (Sherrill, NY) in the 200-yard butterfly (1:58.82), Hughes in the 100-yard freestyle (49.29), Smallwood in the 100-yard butterfly (52.02), Melanson on the 3-meter board (220.27), and freshman Alex Gallant (Lakeville, MA) in the 200-yard IM (1:58.29).
Earning silver were Gallant in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:23.32) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:14.23), sophomore Cam Back (St. Louis, MO) in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.30), sophomore Ryan Coran (Potomac, MD) on the 1-meter (165.60) and 3-meter (189.75) boards, as well as junior Matt Houghton (Berkley, MA) in the 200-yard backstroke (2:02.12).
The Engineers return to action Saturday with a trip to Bowdoin. The double dual, which includes MIT, is slated for a 1pm start.
