EISL Championships: Harvard Puts on Show in Day Two

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, March 7. THE 22nd-ranked Harvard men's swimming and diving team captured six events and set two pool records in the second day of competition at the 2008 EISL Championship, held at Blodgett Pool.

Harvard (9-0, 8-0 EISL, 7-0 Ivy League) scored 554 points Friday to increase its lead to 1039-801.5 over second-place Princteon. Yale is in third with 623 points, while Navy is in fourth with 607.5.

For the second consecutive day, the Crimson set a pool record in its first event, setting a new mark for the fourth time in this year's tournament. Freshman Jordan Diekema, senior Geoff Rathgeber, junior Bill Jones and senior Pat Quinn had a collective time of 1:27.88, an NCAA "B" qualifying cut, to win the 200 medley relay. This same quartet established a new Blodgett Pool, meet and EISL record in the 400 medley relay Thursday (3:13.34). The previous pool mark in the 200 medley relay was 1:28.48, set by Harvard swimmers in 2005.

Rathgeber captured his second individual championship of the weekend, as he took home the 400 IM in an NCAA "A" qualifying time of 3:47.83. With that mark, Rathgeber won the race by more than five seconds. On Thursday, Rathgeber hit the NCAA "A" cut in the 200 IM (1:45.62). Freshman Douwe Yntema was sixth in Friday's 400 IM in 3:57.13, while senior Michael Bowen was 10th (3:58.73).

Bill Jones set the fifth new record at Blodgett Pool during this year's tournament with a quick 47.29 in the 100 butterfly, giving the junior an NCAA "B" time. His twin brother, Dan Jones, was fifth in 48.67.

In the 1000 freestyle, Harvard went 1-1-3, as junior Eric Lynch and senior Sam Wollner tied for the title after both swimmers touched the wall in 9:02.83. Sophomore Alex Meyer placed third, finishing the race in 9:06.89. Freshman Blake Lewkowitz (9:13.93) and sophomore, Mason Brunnick (9:16.85) were seventh and ninth, respectively, as the Crimson earned 140 team points in this event. In Thursday's 500 freestyle, Wollner and Lynch finished 1-2, as Wollner swam the course in 4:22.13, while Lynch was right behind in 4:22.17

In his first EISL Championship, Crimson freshman Justin Davidson claimed the 100 breaststroke after a meet-best time of 56.29. Classmate Will Heyburn finished 10th in 57.14.

In the final event Friday, Harvard won its sixth event of the second day of swimming and its 10th of the tournament with a victory in the 800 freestyle relay. Wollner, Brunnick, Bill Jones and junior David Guernsey won the event in an NCAA "B" time of 6:32.33.

Harvard had three 10 top finishers in the 100 backstroke, led by Diekema who was second in 49.12. Quinn (49.61) and Derick Chui (50.66) were fourth and ninth, respectively.

Guerney placed third in the 200 freestyle, touching the wall in an NCAA "B" qualifying time of 1:36.94. Sophomore Jordan Waterman was 11th (1:41.22.)

In the 3-mtr diving consolation round, Lucas Sanders scored a 307.60, while freshman Zac Ranta earned 283.95.

Special thanks to Harvard for contributing this report.

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