This past weekend, the men’s swimming and diving team competed at the NESCAC Championship and finished sixth overall out of eleven teams present, tying last year’s finish. Bowdoin accumulated a total of 834.5 points throughout the three-day competition.
The team trains throughout the entire season in anticipation for this one important meet. For the Polar Bears, this hard work seems to have paid off. Karl Sarier ’19 won an individual NESCAC title in the 200 freestyle, and many members of the team managed to put up their fastest times.
“For the most part, we swam well,” said Head Coach Brad Burnham. “There are always going to be a few people that are disappointed or don’t quite meet expectations, but it’s hard to get 24 men to swim fast all at the same time. They did a great job, trying to swim as fast as they could, keeping a good attitude and working together. It was fun this year.”
Bowdoin’s NESCAC rival, Bates, finished one spot above the Polar Bears in fifth place. While the team had hoped to top the Bobcats at the meet, captain John Lagasse ’16 said he wasn’t at all disappointed by Bowdoin’s overall performance and believes that both teams swam a very good meet.
Lagasse noted that the first day of the meet got off to a slow start, but the Polar Bears were able to push through and end the weekend on a high note.
“The first day of the meet was a little slower,” said Lagasse. “But as we got acclimated to the meet, things very quickly sorted out. I think that was a testament to the mindset of the team— being a good, cohesive group and very willing to put [our] best efforts out there.”
Among the achievements of the weekend, most notable was Sarier’s, who not only won the 200 freestyle but also set new school records during both the 100 and 200 freestyle races. In the 200, he finished with a time of 1:39.70. Sarier came in third overall in the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.48. In addition, Sarier set yet another school record when he finished in second place in the 200 yard IM with a time of 1:51.22.
Michael Netto ’18 also had an impressive weekend, breaking a pair of school records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Netto finished fourth in both events and set new marks at 56.49 in the 100 and 2:03.67 in the 200. Both Netto and Sarier achieved B cut qualifying times for the NCAA Championship.
“Especially since those guys are underclassmen, it’s good to see that kind of performance early in the career,” said capital John Anderson ’16. “It definitely bodes well for the future.”
Another highlight for the team was the 400 free relay. Lagasse, Netto, Sarier and Will Hutchinson ’18 combined in the relay and broke a Bowdoin record, finishing in 3:05.92.
Going into the meet, the Polar Bears sought to swim well and improve upon their already solid season. Though they finished sixth both this year and last at the championship, Burnham believes that this year’s meet was much stronger.
“We improved in a lot of ways,” said Burnham. “Clearly we have a different race strategy than some of the other schools, and in most cases, that paid off. We were able to come back stronger, finish races and swim faster times than some people that swam races differently.”
Lagasse and Anderson highlighted improvement throughout the season in mid-distance events. Both areas gained a lot of new talent that helped make up for injuries and greatly contributed to the overall positive atmosphere and success of the season. Anderson and Lagasse also noted the supportive team environment that was kept up through the whole season and was especially strong this past weekend.
“Everyone was a little nervous the first day of competition,” said Anderson. “But then we realized all we had to do was be there for each other like we had been for the whole season. [There was] a good feeling of true camaraderie and support for the next two days.”
“It was probably one of the strongest teams I’ve been a part of,” added Lagasse. “[The team] brought a level of intensity that wasn’t necessarily there in previous years.”