New black bear records highlight Harold Anderson Invite

The University of Maine compete this past weekend at the University of Rhode Island for the two day Harold Anderson Invite. The men failed to recapture the championship title as they placed second to Bryant University. The women fell to URI as they earned their 8th straight title. Despite 9 individual wins for the men and many incredible swims the black bears lost 795 to 856. Five key swimmers for the bears were missing including distance freestyler and senior captain David Vittori.

Vittori’s co-captain senior Ryan Fahey earned the first gold of the meet in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 4:46.70.

Sophomore Nick Sundquist earned a win and new meet and school record in the 200 yard IM with a time of 1:53.91 eclipsing sophomore John Carlucci’s record from the previous year. Carlucci is recovering from shoulder surgery this year as a redshirt. Junior Cameron Dwyer gave the bears a 1, 2, finish at 1:59.84.

Junior Matt England earned gold in the 50 yard freestyle with a 21.78 touching out Travis LeGuyader of Bryant at 21.83.

The men earned second in the 400 yard medley relay, the 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay.

In the second session the black bears earned their only relay gold in the 200 yard medley relay. England, Fahey, Eric Gaulin, and Sundquist teamed up to beat the bulldogs with a time of 1:34.69 which also set a new meet record.

Fahey returned for his second win in the 400 yard IM by almost four seconds. His time of 4:06.84 broke the meet record of 4:08.85.

Senior Eric Gaulin won the 100 yard butterfly with a 52.02 followed closely by teammate Cameron Dwyer at 52.94. Dwyer out touched Holy Cross and former Maine swimmer Tyler Wright who touched in 53.09. Wright is Holy Cross school record holder in the event.

Sundquist continued his exceptional performances in the 200 yard freestyle where he won with a time of 1:41.98 narrowly missing the school record held by Chuck Martin from 1982 of 1:41.94. Sundquist won the event by over four seconds.

England earned the bears another gold in the 100 yard backstroke breaking the meet record by nearly three seconds with a 50.42. Sophomore Connor Mayhew a former Maine high school swimmer earned silver in 53.82.

In the final session of the weekend England earned another win and meet record in the 200 yard backstroke. His time of 1:51.52 was just under the meet record and won the event by over five seconds. Mayhew against won silver for the bears at 1:57.20.

Sundquist swam his final individual event with the 100 yard freestyle winning by more than two seconds with a meet record time of 46.25 again narrowly missing the school record of 46.14 from 1985 held by Jay Morrissette.

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The women, the majority of whom did not taper, had many excellent performances and set one new school record.

Freshman Emma Pontius, a former Maine high school swimmer, earned second place in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.81.

Fellow freshman Chloe Adams also earned a silver as she broke the school record in the 200 yard freestyle. Her time of 1:52.23 broke the previous mark of 1:52.64 set by Colleen Miller in 2007.

Senior captain Naja Harvey also earned second in the 100 yard breaststroke at 1:05.23 being out touched by only .01 seconds by Carly Deliberty of the Unversity of Rhode Island.

Adams returned in the 100 yard freestyle for another silver with a time of 52.84.

Pontius returned in the 200 butterfly to place second at 2:09.19. Just behind her earning bronze was fellow freshman Victoria Kingston who touched in 2:09.34.

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For the men’s team the meet served as an opportunity to go fast times and for some to make cut times for the ECAC championship. Sophomore Connor Mayhew earned cuts in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke.

The black bears return to the pool December 6th at Bates College.

Matthew England

About Matthew England

Matt is a former Bangor High School swimmer and currently swims for coach Susan Lizzotte at the University of Maine. He holds team records for the Bangor Hurricanes, Bangor High, and the University of Maine. He is an exercise science major for the class of 2016.