Prelims Finals
ANNAPOLIS, MD. (2/19/2010) – A Colgate school record set by Tucker Gniewek (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) served as one of two highlights on the second day of competition for the Raiders at the 2010 Patriot League Swimming & Diving Championships, Friday evening at Lejeune Hall.
The junior advanced to the final of the 100 back by touching with a 51.31, the fourth best time in the program’s history. In the evening session, Gniewek returned with a 50.98 performance en route to a sixth-place finish. That time bested his former mark of 51.19 set at last year’s event at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium.
Devon Healy (New Canaan, Conn.) led three Raiders to top 16 performances in the 400 IM. The junior touched with a 3:59.35 in the final, which is the third best time in Raider history. Healy’s performance earned him a fifth-place finish overall. Casey Powers (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and Dan Pulitano (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) finished 10th and 16th respectively. Powers’ time of 4:02.46 was the ninth best time in the event at Colgate.
The Raiders posted three more top 12 performances in the later session. In the 100 fly, Costas Hadjipateras (New Canaan, Conn.) and Dan Sweeney (New Canaan, Conn.) finished seventh and ninth overall. The sophomore advanced to the final with a 50.53, the sixth best time at Colgate. Hadjipateras placed seventh in the “A” final with a 51.04. Sweeney narrowly missed qualifying for the final, but set a freshman record at Colgate with a 51.03. The rookie returned in the consolation final to even better his mark with a 50.02, the second best time at Colgate.
Pat White (Stamford, Conn.) finished with the seventh best time in the program’s history in the 200 free with a 1:42.75, which was good enough for 11th overall.
Colgate also received points in the one-meter diving competition as well, placing two among the top 13. Freshman Nick Burkus (Weston, Mass.) placed 10th overall with 227.75 points, while fellow rookie Tyler Makepeace (Wallingford, Conn.) finished 13th with 211.4 points.
In the evening’s final event, Hadjiapteras teamed with White, Healy and Powers to post a fifth-place effort in the 800 free relay. The team’s performance of 6:49.60 edged the former school record of 6:49.81 set at last year’s Patriot League Championship.
Colgate will begin the final day of competition in fifth place, 59 points in back of Lehigh for fourth. Navy takes a 250-point advantage into Saturday’s series of finals.