HAMPTON, Va. – The Salisbury University men's swimming team stormed off the blocks and holds a sizeable lead after day one of the three-day Yellow Jacket Invitational on Friday evening at the Hampton Aquaplex.
The Sea Gulls, defending champions of the event, wrapped up the keynote leading a field of eight teams with 426 points. Second-place Washington & Lee sits far back at 237 points, with third-place Catholic (225.5) the only other side north of 200 points.
PRELIMS
- Qualifying for the finals in the 500-yard freestyle: Owen Mahoney (4:34.73, 1st), Ethan Lloyd (4:37.69, 2nd), Matt Merke (4:42.13, 3rd), Kyle Skelly (4:43.14, 4th), Shad Frantz (4:43.84, 6th), Gabe Erb (4:44.45, 7th), David Gardner (4:44.84, 8th), Shane Hall (4:45.42, 10th), and Ethan Litteken (4:49.94, 15th).
- Qualifying for the finals in the 200 individual medley: Dominic Kazzi (1:52.30, 2nd), Brody Hanlon (1:54.92, 4th), Michael Paulos (1:55.39, 5th), Logan Edge (1:59.19, 14th), and Mark Dattilio (1:59.27, 15th).
- Qualifying for the finals in the 50 free: Mason Potts (20.46, 1st), Michael DeSimone (20.62, 2nd), Owen Brewer (20.87, 4th), Aidan Loehr (20.91, 5th), Everett Rachael (21.05, 6th), and Themo Rigakos (21.25, 9th).
FINALS
- Salisbury won the 200 free relay, with Michael DeSimone, Aidan Loehr, Owen Brewer, and Everett Rachael teaming up for a marker of 1:22.07, good for a program record and the second-fastest time in Division III by the end of the day.
- The Sea Gulls took seven of the top eight positions in the 500 free, with Owen Mahoney (4:32.96), Ethan Lloyd (4:37.84), and Matt Merke (4:38.48) sweeping the podium.
- Dominic Kazzi (1:52.80), Brody Hanlon (1:54.02), and Michael Paulos (1:55.32) took second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the 200 IM.
- Cameron Byrd also swam an impressive 1:52.66 in a 200 IM exhibition during the morning session.
- SU snagged five of the top six slots in the 50 free. Mason Potts won gold in 20.17 seconds, while DeSimone (20.48) took the silver and Brewer (20.62) the bronze.
- In the 400 medley relay, Salisbury's A- and B-teams took first and second. The golden team (3:16.35) included Potts, Loehr, Cameron Byrd, and Brewer; the silver team (3:21.13), Rachael, Brady Wolf, Griffin Harris, and DeSimone.
PROGRAM RECORDS
The Sea Gulls will return to the lanes for day two of three of the Yellow Jacket Invitational on Saturday, with prelims set for 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 206 conference championships, and have produced 53 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
