After a short three-day break from competition, the swimming and diving teams returned to the water on Wednesday evening to face the Bates Bobcats.
With first place finishes for both teams in nearly all the events, the Polar Bears sank the Bobcats. The women enjoyed a win with a final score of 169-69, while the men dominated Bates 149-73.
Senior captain Jessica Horstskotte claimed victories in the 1000-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley. In the middle-distance events, Rachel Gang '11 went for a pair of wins in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle.
Ben Rachlin '08 led the men's team, capturing the 50-yard freestyle and the 50-yard backstroke.
In their second meet of the season, the teams displayed a solid performance at the MIT Invitational this past weekend. Competitors included Tufts, Brandeis, Colby, and Wheaton.
The women swam to a 558-point fourth-place finish, trailing Wheaton College by half a point. Their relays fared particularly well, with the quad of first years Erin McAuliffe, Caitlin Callahan, Megan Sullivan, and Allison Palmer placing first and second in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays, respectively. On the second day of competition, the 800-yard freestyle relay of Sullivan, Horstskotte, Zoe Harran '11, and Gang finished third.
Palmer was a success in the sprint events for the Bowdoin women, placing second and third in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. McAuliffe outpaced her competition to win the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, while fellow first year Emma Chiappetta took first in the 200-yard butterfly. Horstkotte also contributed to the women's points with a third-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley.
The men's team finished fifth in the competition with 239.5 points, behind Colby and ahead of Wheaton. Ben Rachlin '08 took fourth in the 100-yard backstroke, while Christian Hurst '11 placed fifth in the 200-yard butterfly. In another grueling race, Hurst also swam to a strong third place finish in the 400 IM.
On both sides, host MIT swept the competition with Tufts finishing second.
Head coach Brad Burnham felt that the two-day invitational was "exactly what the team was looking for."
"We had tons of time to get to know each other and lots of opportunities to discuss areas that need work for the future. We had a great time," he said.
Men's team member Jay Um '09 agreed. "At the MIT meet, we got to know each other really well, swimming-wise and in general. It was a great team bonding experience for everyone."
Burnham praised the team's level of commitment.
"Our greatest strength to this point is the road that some people have decided to take for the season. It is always a risk to make significant changes in technique, but we have many people working through these changes," he said. "I know it will pay off in February [at the end of the season]."
Both teams will resume competition in late January after winter break training at Bowdoin and in Barbados.