Division III Championship Preview: The NESCAC Men

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Championship season is officially in full swing. With NCAA Division III teams competing in over 30 different conference championship meets, it’s tough to keep track of them all, but Swimming World will offer a preview of the action at the country’s fastest and deepest meets. Here’s a glimpse at what to expect at the men’s NESCAC Championships.

Teams: Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity (CT), Tufts, Wesleyan, Williams

Location: Middlebury

Dates: February 21-24

An overview: In 2018 Tufts upset Williams, ending a 15 year streak for the Ephs. No title is a sure thing, though at the MIT Invite in December the Jumbos showed every sign that they’re ready to fight for a back to back championship this weekend.

Here’s just four of many great races to keep an eye on this weekend…

100 Free

In 2018 Tufts’ sprint phenom Roger Gu raced to a meet record 44.31 in prelims of the 100 free (He was just .01 off Ian Crocker‘s Bowdoin pool record). He couldn’t replicate that speed at night, finishing second in 44.78 behind Bowdoin’s Karl Sarier in 44.47.

Last year’s third, fourth, and fifth place finishers were seniors. Gu looks tough to beat this year, already going 44.44 in December, the fourth best time in the country as of the end of dual meets.

Is Amherst freshman Scott Romeyn ready to jump into the mix? He was 46.24 in a dual meet against Conn for the NESCAC’s number two time. Sarier sits third in 46.63.

1650 Free

The 1650 is a place where Williams shines, taking first, second, and fourth last year. They had three men in the night heat at Nationals last year.

All of them return: sophomores Jamie Lovette and Jackson Karofsky and junior Andrew Trunsky. That trio has the top three 1000 times in the NESCAC (a more telling sign than 1650 times, in a conference that generally lacks mid-season rest meets).

Last year’s mile third place finisher, Tufts’ John Lalime, has the fourth best 1000 time

Colby’s Ryan Bedell was sixth last year as a freshman, and has been on fire this year.

Bowdoin’s duo Dan Williams and Coleman Komishane look to be in the mix based on their early December miles times that put them second and sixth in the NESCAC this year.

100 Breaststroke

Amherst was first through fourth in the 100 breaststroke last year, and graduated only the winner, Elijah Spiro. They now have seniors Josh Chen and Chris Quinones, and junior Sean Mebust and have added freshman Gary Sun who boasts the number six time, a 58.51.

Mebust’s place is more in the 200 breast where he holds the conference’s number one time, but he still managed a 56.42 last year. He seems to be growing as a breaststroker, racing to a 57.19 in a dual meet against Conn to take the 100 breast top seed as well.

Quionens has only been a 1:00.23 this year, but he shouldn’t be counted out just yet. Last year he was seeded with a 59.80, slipped into the A final in 57.04, and then rose to a 56.15 at night.

Also in the mix are Tufts’ Alexander Burnam (57.88) and Bates’ Alex Bedard (57.97).

200 Backstroke

Kingsley Bowen‘s path to repeat his backstroke titles (he won the 50, 100, and 200 last year) has been made more difficult by his own freshman teammate Joseph Kim.

In December Kim posted a 1:48.28, well ahead of Bowen in 1:50.96. The team’s Nathan Mitchell went the NESCAC’s number three time, a 1:51.05.

Amherst’s runner up Craig Smith is back, sitting in fourth with a 1:52.72 as of the end of dual meets.

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