Kenyon Doubles Lead on Day Two of National Meet

» Complete Results | » Team Scores | » Day 1 Recap

Kenyon College combined for three event wins – two individual and one relay – to double its lead from 91 to 182.5 points in the team standings during Friday’s action at the NCAA Div. III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, being held at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

With one day remaining, the Lords are well on their way to a 29th consecutive national championship, as their next closest competition is fellow North Coast Athletic Conference member Denison University. Kenyon has 429 total points to Denison’s 246.5, while also vying for runner-up honors is Johns Hopkins University (224).

Kenyon got off to a fast start in the finals’ session, with Tom Irgens, Collin Ohning, Matthew Harris, and Joshua Mitchell cruising to victory in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:29.16, a full second ahead of the second-place team from Johns Hopkins (1:30.32).

Next, Keith Diggs of Emory University earned a national championship in the 400 IM, touching the wall in 3:54.80.

The Lords’ Harris then outstretched Chase Gross of the University of Wis.-Stevens Point for a win in the 100 butterfly. Harris’ time of 47.94 was less than three-tenths of a second ahead of Gross (48.23).

Denison made a move in the following event, as David Curtis led a 1-2 finish for the Big Red during the 200 freestyle. Curtis, who also took top honors in Thursday’s 500 free (4:23.61), won his second national title in as many days, recording a 1:37.83, just ahead of teammate John Geissinger (1:38.29).

While it didn’t involve swimmers from traditional powers Kenyon, Denison, Johns Hopkins, or Emory, the 100 breaststroke was the most exciting event of the day. In a photo finish, Pavel Buyanov of the College of Staten Island edged St. Olaf College’s Nelson Westby for a championship by one one-hundredth of a second. Also, Buyanov’s time of 54.49 broke a Div. III national record, while Westby touched at 54.50.

Mitchell contributed another win for Kenyon in the final individual race of the day, the 100 backstroke, with his time of 48.68 being just eight-hundredths of a second shy of another national mark.

Denison broke the Lords’ string of relay championships (Kenyon had won the first three of the meet) with a victory in the 800 freestyle. Joining forces were Geissinger, Lowell Byers, Chris Sellon, and Curtis for a 6:40.73 time.  

The Division III national meet concludes on Saturday with preliminary heats once again beginning at 11 a.m., and the finals slated for a 6:30 p.m. start.

For up-to-the-minute results, click the event links on the left or visit: http://www.ncaaresults.com/division3m/index.htm.