WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's swimming & diving team captured its third straight conference title on Sunday at the Little East Conference (LEC) Swimming & Diving Championships held at the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley.
The Bears finished with 955 points over the four-day meet as they outdistanced second-place Eastern Connecticut State University (836 pts.). Keene State College (834 pts.) rounded out the top three teams at the championship meet.
Freshman Aaron Fowler (Brookline, Mass.) was selected as the Little East Men's Swimmer of the Year as well as the LEC Men's Rookie Swimmer of the Year.
On Sunday, Fowler captured the meet title in the 200 butterfly with a school and meet record time of 1:56.20. Fowler ecliped the Bears' previous mark of 1:56.74 set by Hajime Yoshimura in 2002.
Fowler, fellow freshman Jirat Saengthong (Watertown, Mass.) and seniors Brennan Gravanda (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Joseph Pervier (Baldwinville, Mass.) won the conference crown in the 400 freestyle relay with a school and meet record time of 3:11.03. The foursom broke the previous school mark of 3:12.65 set back in 1998.
All told, Fowler grabbed top honors and set school and meet records in all three butterfly events during the four-day championship meet. He also helped the Bears win and set meet record in four relays including a pair of school records.
Saengthong also placed first and set the meet record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.64 seconds.
Senior Connor Young (Chelmsford, Mass.) rounded out the Bears' event winners on Sunday. Young was the first to touch the wall in the 1,650 freestyle as he posted a time of 17:19.06.
Pervier added a second place performance in the 100 freestyle (48.08), while senior Cooper Castellone (South Windsor, Conn.) placed second in the 200 breaststroke (2:11.29) and sophomore Ryan McKenzie (Charlton, Mass.) finished third in the 50 backstroke (25.97).
BSU head coach Mike Caruso was named the Little East Men's Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
