The men's swimming team hosted the NESCAC Championship last weekend, earning its best finish since the institution of the championship in 2001.
Highlighted by stellar performances from Nathan Mecray '12 and Mac Routh '12, the Polar Bears finished sixth overall. Both swimmers were awarded All-NESCAC recognition on Tuesday.
Mecray set a pool record with his 26.25 finish in the 50-yard breaststroke, capturing his second consecutive NESCAC crown in the event. He also took third in both the 50-yard freestyle (20.87)—setting a new school record in the process—and the 100-yard breaststroke (57.63).
Routh also earned All-NESCAC recognition for the second consecutive year after earning a third-place finish in the 50-yard butterfly (22.82).
Bowdoin finished with a team score of 677.5 as Williams and Amherst traded leads throughout the weekend. The Ephs took home the victory after earning 1,741.5 points, defeating Amherst by 127 points, the closest margin of victory since the 2003 championship.
Mecray's performance in the 50-meter freestyle earned him a spot in this year's NCAA championship meet, which takes place over Spring Break in Nashville, Tenn.
"Nathan's performance is very exciting for our team, and a great accomplishment for him, as he has been working hard all season to get to this point," said Routh.
Overall, the team was enthused about the outlook of the championship and is looking forward to next season.
"The team was very pleased with our performance this past weekend, as it was the highest finish we have had since the NESCAC meet was established," said Routh. "Our sixth place finish also marked the team's movement into the next tier of NESCAC swimming, and we could have possibly finished as high as fifth if a few things had gone a little bit differently."