COMPLETE RESULTS
WATERVILLE, ME – The final day of the Men's NESCAC Swimming and Diving Championships concluded tonight with Williams on top. The Ephs rounded out a long meet with a new total point NESCAC record of 2086 points.
The awards at the end of the meet highlighted Williams' performance. Kobe Tray '23 was awarded Diver of the Meet and Jamie Lovette was awarded Swimmer of the Meet; both awards are voted upon by the NESCAC coaches. The Ephs also dominated the prestigious career high point awards which are calculated by tabulating individual points scored throughout the athletes' NESCAC championships. IM and distance specialist Jackson Karofsky earned 325 points, butterflier and freestyler David Pearcy earned 347 points, and freestyler Jamie Lovette earned 370 points to take third through first place. These awards highlight the hard work and dedication of the athletes over their collegiate careers and are well deserved.
In addition to the athletes, Williams coaches were also honored with the top awards for the meet. Devon O'Nalty was awarded Diving Coach of the Year and head coach Steve Kuster was awarded Swimming Coach of the Year.
The session started with the longest event of the meet, the 1650 yard freestyle. All three Ephs who swam the event placed in the top eight. Alex Atherton '24 (15:38.05) swam at night and placed second while teammates Carter Anderson '25 (15:38.65) and Cole Mason '23.5 (16:00.55) placed third and sixth overall despite competing in the morning heats.
The 200s of stroke kicked off with backstroke where Nick Whitcomb '23 executed a well-split race to touch in second in a 1:48.37. Teammates Paul Leclerc '22 (1:50.57) and Charlie Venci '25 (1:51.93) placed seventh and eighth respectively.
Freestyle specialist Jamie Lovette '22 secured his third individual win of the weekend in the 100 freestyle in a fast 44.28. Fellow Ephs Zeb Hart '23 (45.25) and Oliver Schalet '25 (45.45) touched fifth and seventh at finals in the close heat in both of their third A finals of the weekend.
Liam Sullivan '23 sliced over three seconds off his prelims time in the 200 breaststroke to win the B final in a 2:02.05 and earn an NCAA B cut. In the A final, winner of the event in 2020, Jacob Grover '24, took home the title again in a 1:56.67. His prelims time of 1:56.57 broke his own NESCAC record. Cole Mason '23.5 faced a tough mile-2 breast double today and scored huge points in both events. In the 200 breaststroke, Mason shattered his previous best time of 2:07.55 to finish in fifth with a 2:03.56.
Williams maintained their momentum in the 200 butterfly where 2020 champion David Pearcy '22 successfully defended his title and earned his second win of the weekend in a 1:47.66. Noah Labich '25 (1:50.51), Nathaniel Tunggal '25 (1:50.94), and Sean Tan '22 (1:51.21) took places fourth through sixth.
In the 3-meter diving competition, Kobe Tray '23 was far above the competition. The high level of difficulty of his dives and his execution scores earned him 541.80 points compared to the second place score of 472.90. Tray will compete next weekend in Northhampton, MA at Regionals to contend for a spot at NCAAs.
The Ephs capped off an outstanding meet with a spectacular showing in the 400 freestyle relay. On the A, David Pearcy '22 led off in a time that would have earned him second place in the 100 freestyle. A best time by over a full second, Pearcy's 44.32 swim established a huge lead in the final heat. Zeb Hart '23 (44.31), Aaron Stanton '22 (45.30), and Jamie Lovette '22 (43.54) sealed the deal to finish in a 2:57.47. Their time smashed the old record set by Tufts in 2020 by over two seconds.
The Ephmen's performance this weekend showcased their star power, depth, and heart. The team rose to every challenge they faced and their new overall score record of 2086 points reflects the efforts of every member of the team. The Ephs' performances this weekend qualified the most number of swimmers for NCAA Championships in recent team history. Qualifiers will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana in less than a month for the final meet of the season.
