BRIDGEWATER. Mass. – Freshman Aaron Fowler broke three school records to lead the Bridgewater State University men's swimming and diving team on Saturday at the BSU Invitational held at the Moriarty Pool.
The Bears placed first out of three teams at the 19-event meet with 859 points as they easily outdistanced Plymouth State University (326 pts.) and Colby-Sawyer College (67 pts.).
Fowler set school records (and won) in each of the three individual events he competed in. The Brookline, Massachusetts product broke his own program mark in the 50 butterfly with a time of 22.37 seconds surpassing his previous standard of 22.79 seconds set back on October 28th. He is currently tied for seventh in all of Division III in the 50 fly.
Fowler eclipsed both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle records previously set by Dave Cangiano back in 1996 and 1998, respectively. He posted a time of 20.97 seconds in the 50 free bettering Cangiano's 1996 mark of 21.14 seconds. Fowler touched the wall in 46.96 seconds in the 100 free to take down Cangiano's 1998 standard of 47.49 seconds.
Fowler also competed on both of the Bears' winning relay teams. He swam a leg on the 400 medley relay (3:33.79) along with sophomore Cooper Sever (Edgewater, Md.), fellow freshman Jirat Saengthong (Watertown, Mass.) and senior Cooper Castellone (South Windsor, Conn.). Fowler, Saengthong, and seniors Brennan Gravanda (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Joseph Pervier (Baldwinville, Mass.) posted a time of 3:13.83 in the 400 freestyle relay as they were just over a second off the school record mark of 3:12.65 set back in 1998.
All told, the Bears placed first in 17 of the 19 events at the meet. The BSU men's and women's teams combined for 145 season-best times.
Sever captured top honors in the 200 backstroke (2:03.64) and 200 individual medley (2:07.02). Castellone was the first to touch the wall in both the 100 breaststroke (1:00.90) and 200 breaststroke (2:16.73) while Pervier place first the 200 freestyle (1:54.87).
Freshman Drew Lawrence (Winchendon, Mass.) won three individual events posting top times in the 400 individual medley (4:50.34), 200 butterfly (2:14.31) and the 100 butterfly (56.68).
Senior Connor Young (Chelmsford, Mass.) and sophomore Ryan McKenzie (Charlton, Mass.) added two victories apiece. Young won the two longest events of the day, outdistancing the field in both the 1,650 freestyle (17:57.30) and 500 freestyle (5:15.37). McKenzie grabbed top honors in the 100 individual medley (58.19) as well as the 50 breaststroke (28.26).
The Bears are off until Saturday, January 20th (noon) when they travel to Brandeis University for a tri-meet with the host Judges and Keene State College.