MIT Takes NEWMAC Conference Title

By Jonathan A. Goler

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 5. BRAINS and speed. Everyone knows MIT students have ample gray matter. This weekend they demonstrated they also have the speed.

Last weekend, for the second year in a row, MIT's men's swim team was crowned champion of the NEWMAC Conference. The meet was held at MIT's Zesiger Pool.

Swimmers from the US Coast Guard Academy and Springfield were no match for the power and depth of the MIT team, and MIT dominated the meet right from the first day, with a spectacular win, and national "B" cut of 1:35.53 in the 200 medley relay. The team of Jonathan S. Varsanik, Bruce J DiBello, Matt N. Styczynski and Erdem M. Kiciman are now in the running for the NCAA Division III National Meet, to be held at Emory University later this month.

On Saturday, Nicholas O. Sidelnik, David D. Lohrey and Maike Geng swept the 400 IM, with Sidelnik swimming a 4:07.95, another B-cut.

Bruce DiBello followed up wtih a win and B-cut in the 100 Breast, with a time of 58.03.

Captain Chris G. Lucas was MIT's top 1650 swimmer, breaking the pool record with a time of 16:50.80.

Sunday rounded out MIT's domination, with DiBello and Lohrey going 1-2 in the 200 breast, both with National B Qualifying times.

MIT handily beat the competition, with a score of 920, over Coast Guard's 771 and Springfield's 657.

Following the victory, MIT Coach Josef M. Kurtz PhD, '96 was named NEWMAC coach of the year.

The victory culminates the most successful season in MIT Swimming history. The Men's team accumulated a 9-1 record, and qualified 6 men for nationals, the most ever. Combined with the women's 7 B-cuts, nearly a quarter of the combined team hit national cuts.

Next week, the MIT Women's National team heads to Emory for Div. III Nationals. The relay team of Captain Kistin Alberi, Kathryn Duffy, Georgene Hilb and Monica Morrison will compete in the five relay events.

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