WATERVILLE, Maine – Hamilton College swimmers broke seven team records during the first two days of the 2024 NESCAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships at the Colby College Aquatic Center on Thursday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 23.
The Continentals'
Nathaniel Taft '27 made a big splash in his first conference meet as he captured first place in the 50-yard freestyle. Taft's time of 19.83 seconds in the morning's preliminary heats broke his own team record of 20.65 seconds and made an NCAA championships 'B' cut.
Taft has already set three individual records and been a part of three relay records at the NESCAC championships. He led off the 400 medley relay with a 100 backstroke split of 49.99 seconds, which edged his own team record of 50.08 seconds set earlier in February. The relay's time of 3:21.76 eclipsed the former record of 3:22.93 set last year.
Ben Chidley '27, Jack Jee '24 and
Ben Howell '24 joined Taft on the relay.
Taft and Hamilton started off the meet with a bang in the 800 free relay on Thursday night. Taft,
Steven Roche '27, Henry Wiemeyer '26 and
Luke Engel '25 posted a team-record time of 6:44.72, which shattered the old record of 6:51.45 set at the 1999 NCAA championships. Taft led off the relay and his 200 free split of 1:36.64 broke his own team record by nearly four seconds and made an NCAA 'B' cut.
Taft, Wiemeyer,
Alex Vasquez '27 and Howell started Friday evening with a team-record time of 1:21.30 in the 200 free relay. That performance made an NCAA 'B' cut and eclipsed the old record of 1:22.92 set last year.
Roche was responsible for the other team record as he registered a time of 1:51.46 in the 200 individual medley. Jee established the previous record of 1:52.54 two years ago.
The Continentals are in seventh place out of 11 teams through the first 10 events. The championships continue on Saturday, Feb. 24 with the preliminary heats at 10 a.m. and the finals at 5:45 p.m.
TOP PERFORMANCES
800 Freestyle Relay
6.
Nathaniel Taft '27,
Steven Roche '27,
Henry Wiemeyer '26,
Luke Engel '25 (6:44.72, team record)
200 Freestyle Relay
6. Taft, Wiemeyer,
Alex Vasquez '27,
Ben Howell '24 (1:21.30, NCAA 'B' cut, team record)
50 Breaststroke
16.
Matthew Hake '26, 26.17 seconds (8th in consolation final, 25.81 in prelims)
23.
Ben Chidley '27, 26.49 (7th in preconsolation final)
50 Butterfly
8. Vasquez, 22.53 seconds (22.36 in prelims)
11.
Jack Jee '24, 22.39 (3rd in consolation final)
500 Freestyle
21. Engel, 4:41.72 (5th in preconsolation final, 4:41.42 in prelims)
200 Individual Medley
10. Roche, 1:51.46 (2nd in consolation final, team record)
18. Jee, 1:52.85 (2nd in preconsolation final)
50 Freestyle
1. Taft, 19.84 seconds (19.83 in prelims, NCAA 'B' cut, team record)
11. Howell, 20.71 (3rd in consolation final, 20.67 in prelims)
12. Vasquez, 20.93 (4th in consolation final, 20.63 in prelims)
21. Wiemeyer, 21.17 (5th in preconsolation final, 20.96 in prelims)
400 Medley Relay
8. Taft, Chidley, Jee, Howell (3:21.76, team record)
