Eight Different Stags Earn Individual Wins at Pomona-Pitzer Invitational

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's swimming and diving team had eight different swimmers finish first at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on Saturday in the final tune-up before the SCIAC Championships on Feb. 21-24.

After Pomona-Pitzer won the opening mixed relay, freshman Matthew Waddell took first in the 500 free in 4:45.38, as the Stags had the top four finishers. Senior Jackson Crewe followed with a win in the 200 IM, edging Liam O'Shea of Pomona-Pitzer by just .04 (1:57.08 to 1:57.12) in a photo finish at the wall. 

Sophomore Daniel Hayon made it three wins in a row for CMS with a 21.80 in the 50 free, edging Will Abele of Pomona-Pitzer by .13. After the Sagehens won the 400 IM, senior Tyler Welty took first in the 100 fly in 51.41 and freshman Michael Lee earned the win in the 200 free (1:43.45), winning another close race by .45 over Jack Swanson of Pomona-Pitzer. 

Freshman Walter Limm then won the closest race of the day, with a little bit of family intrigue mixed in, as he defeated his older brother, junior Henry Limm, by just one-hundredth of a second in the 100 breast (58.25 to 58.26). Freshman Christian Simon was third to give the Stags a 1-2-3 finish. 

Junior Ben Culberson took home the 1650 title in 16:20.33, while freshman Nick Tan, the reigning SCIAC Swimmer of the Week, was the eighth Stag to capture first place, winning the 200 breast in 2:10.94. 

The CMS swimmers will be off for a week before starting the SCIAC Championships on Thursday, Feb. 21 in Commerce. The CMS divers will be at Pomona-Pitzer next weekend to compete in their part of the SCIAC Championships on Feb. 16-17.