Elis Maintain First Place at Bucknell Invitational

 LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Yale men's swimming and diving team continued their success Saturday, building upon their lead at the Bucknell Invitational. After scoring 453 points Friday, the Elis scored 624 points Saturday, bringing the team's grand total to 1,077. Through two whole days of competition, the Elis are in first place.

 

The first event final for the men was the 200-yard medley relay. In a very close race, Yale's 'A' team pulled out a victory. The team consisting of sophomores Rob Harder, Andrew Heymann, Alwin Firmansyah and junior Pat Killian defeated the Delaware team by .05 seconds. Yale's 'B' team placed 11^th.

 

The first individual event final Saturday was the 400-yard individual medley. Sophomore Mike Lazris and freshman Kevin Stang placed 6^th and 8^th, respectively. 

 

The Bulldogs' depth was on display in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle events Saturday night. Firmansyah carried on his success from Friday, winning the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 49.45. Junior Paschall Davis, senior Mike Dominski and junior Ed Becker finished in fifth, sixth and eighth place, helping the Elis earn 103 points in the event. Harder followed his win in the medley relay with a win in the 200-yard freestyle. Freshmen Victor Zhang placed second behind Harder. Freshman William Yang, freshman Brian Hogan and Killian placed 11^th, 12^th, and 17^th.

 

With five swimmers competing, the Elis looked to add to their lead in the 100-yard breaststroke final. Heymann finished in first place with a time of 56.80. Sophomore Ronald Tsui was just behind Heymann, finishing in fourth place with a time of 57.14. Freshman Jake Goldstein, junior Danny McDermott and Kendrick McDonald placed 14^th, 17^th, and 22^nd, respectively.

 

Junior diver Tyler Pramer, winner of the men's 1-meter diving on Friday night, won the 3-meter event Saturday with a score of 313.50. Freshman James McNelis finished in third place with a score of 298.15.

 

The Elis completed their Saturday evening with the 800-yard freestyle relay. Yale's 'A' team, consisting of Harder, Killian, Yang and Zhang claimed a first-place finish. The Yale 'B' team finished in ninth place.

 

After a strong start Friday and a dominant day on Saturday, the Bulldogs hope to finish the three-day Bucknell Invitational in emphatic fashion. In anticipation of Sunday, Robert J.H. Kiphuth Head Coach Tim Wise said, "We need to maintain our focus and carry this session over to tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to finishing strong."

 

The preliminary racing begins at 10:00 a.m. EST Sunday, with the last session of finals starting at 6:00 a.m. EST.