BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior Anton Lopez (Oakland, Calif.) won three events to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's swimming & diving team over host Bridgewater State University, 193-69, this afternoon at the Dr. Mary Jo Moriarty Swimming Pool in Bridgewater, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 1-2 on the season, while the Bears fall to 1-2.
Wheaton placed first in all but one of the 14 events on the day. The Lyons finished first and second in nine different events, including two individual races with three Lyons in all of the top three spots.
Lopez dominated the freestyle sprints, winning the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 21.77 for Wheaton in addition to placing first in the 100-yard freestyle with a mark of 48.73. He also won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.84. He was joined by two other multiple-event winners for the Lyons as well.
Sophomore Gavin Cullinan (Cumming, Ga.) won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:46.58 and later showed some endurance with a mark of 4:56.35 to take the 500-yard freestyle. Senior Ben Goho (Lincoln, R.I.) won both breaststroke races. His first triumph came in the 100-yard breaststroke behind a time of 59.44, before touching the wall first in the 200-yard race with a mark of 2:17.28.
Wheaton featured four other individual winners during the day as well. Junior Caden Gilbert (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) won the first individual event of the afternoon in a 1000-yard freestyle that saw three Lyons touch the wall within one and three-quarters seconds of each other. Gilbert touched first at 10:59.10, before sophomore Alex Minickiello (Swanzey, N.H.) placed second just over a second later with an effort of 11:00.27. Sophomore Will Chappell (Worcester, Mass.) clocked in just over half a second later at 11:00.85.
Senior Braxton Farrin (Walpole, Maine) topped the field in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:02.61, while sophomore Andrew Tran (Milton, Mass.) placed first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:02.22. Junior Sean Hill (Ellsworth, Maine) won the 100-yard butterfly with a mark of 53.79.
Wheaton captured both relay events as well. The Lyons opened the meet with a victory in the 400-yard medley relay after posting a time of 3:34.49 behind the opening backstroke of Cullinan, before Goho's breaststroke and Farrin's in the butterfly. Lopez capped the race in the freestyle anchor.
Sophomore Brian Hixson (Scituate, Mass.), Goho, Hill and sophomore Will Larson (Iowa City, Iowa) combined on a time of 1:27.79 to outpace the field to win the 200-yard freestyle relay for the Lyons.
First year Aaron Fowler (Brookline, Mass.) led the way for Bridgewater State. Fowler captured top honors in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:02.12 and placed second in the 100 freestyle (48.89).
Wheaton returns to action on Friday, November 10 when it travels to New London, Conn. to take on United States Coast Guard Academy at 4:00 p.m., while the Bears host Roger Williams University on the same day at 5:00 p.m.
