CMS Men's Swim and Dive Opens Up 100-Point Lead Heading into Final Day of SCIACs

LA MIRADA, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's swimming and diving team stretched its lead up to over 100 points over Pomona-Pitzer (788-682) after the third of four days of the SCIAC Championships on Friday at Splash! La Mirada Aquatics Center.

Nick Tekieli won the 100 back, Anderson Breazeale took first in the 200 free, and Marco Conati repeated as the champion of the 100 butterfly for the Stags, who had a 71-point lead coming into the day's action and built on it as they are on the cusp of repeating as league champions. Tekieli and Conati were also part of a 400-yard medley relay team that capped off the day by winning in SCIAC record time, along with Walter Limm and Frank Applebaum, who swam the butterfly while Conati anchored in the freestyle.

Conati and Applebaum were 1-2 in the 100 fly, as Conati took first place in 48.04 to set a new meet record, while Applebaum was close behind in 48.20. Weston Crewe also qualified for the finals and came in eighth, while Thayer Breazeale won the consolation heat for a tenth-place finish. 

Breazeale had a strong effort to win the 200 free, as he stood in fifth place at the midway point, but rallied to take first place in 1:38.88, edging out Tag Curwen of Pomona-Pitzer in 1:39.21. His time moves him into second place in CMS history, behind only Matt Williams (1:38.35). Eric Workman also reached the finals and came in ninth for the Stags. 

Limm earned a runner-up finish in the 100 breast, but trimmed almost a full second off his own school record in the process, clocking a 54.88 to pass his old best time of 55.65. Alec Vercruysse also reached the finals and came in fifth for the Stags. 

CMS placed five swimmers in the finals of the 100 back, and earned a 1-2 finish with Tekieli clocking a 48.58 to move into second in CMS history (also behind Williams), while Dylan Krueger came in second in 50.76. Grant Stucky (fourth), Weston Crewe (seventh) and Nick Tan (eighth) were also Stag finalists. Stucky (sixth) was also a 400 IM finalist, along with Ben Smith (fourth). 

The final relay saw Tekieli swim a 48.68 backstroke split to give the Stags a lead of over two seconds, and Limm, Applebaum and Conati had no problem holding on to it, as CMS finished in 3:15.05 for a comfortable win. 

The Stags stand in great shape with a spread of 106 points heading into the final day of SCIACs tomorrow, when the 1650 will be held, along with the 100 free, the 200 back, the 200 breast, and the 200 fly, before capping off the meet with the 400-yard freestyle relay.