NEISDA Championship: Owls Finish Second

BRISTOL, R.I. 2/24/08 - Keene State College couldn't hold off a late kick by Bentley College, which edged the Owls 619-608 for the team title at the 2008 New England Men's Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships (NEISDA) held at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I.

Looking to claim its first NEISDA crown, Keene State placed second for the second straight year in the 14-team field. Bentley won its fourth consecutive championship.

Keene State set school records on the way to winning three events in the final day of competition on Sunday. Sophomore Cody Larrimore (Trappe, Md.) won the 100 free (47.09), freshman Tim Thornton (Fairfield, Conn.), who was named diver of the meet, won the three-meter diving event (399.85 points), and the team of freshmen Mike Germane (Barrington, R.I.) and Karl Balinksi (Waterford, Conn.) and sophomores Michael Fedele (Sandwich, Mass.) and Larrimore swam to a victory in the 400 free relay (3:11.68).

The Owl freshmen placed in the 1,650 free race with Dan Theelen (Southbury, Conn.) second with a school record 16:32.74, Dan Morse (Hope, R.I.) third (16:48.61), and Lucas Pozzetta (Merrimack, N.H.) fifth (17:28.53).

Other top performances were posted by Germane, fifth in the 50 back (25.96), Fedele, fifth in the 200 breast (2:14.97), sophomore Domingo Rose (Nashua, N.H.) sixth in the 200 breast (2:15.00), freshman John Farrell (Gardner, Mass.), second in the 200 fly (2:02.57), and freshman Connoyer Pennoyer (Norwalk, Conn.), third in the 100 I.M. (55.93).

Tim Thornton broke the 1 meter record (11dive) held by Zach Hastings KSC records and the 3 meter record (11 dive) held by Chris McCormick. Tim scored 384.75 points on the 1 meter board and 399.85 points on the 3 meter board. He placed second on the 1 meter and first on the 3 meter board. Tim was awarded Diver of the meet!

The men swam very fast and broke 5 Keene State relay records and 11 individual records (total of 15 new records!). Dan Theleen has the honor of breaking the oldest swimming record on the books, when he went 4:45.65 in the 500 free and broke the record set by Carl Arlig in 1976. His time was a qualifying time for the ECAC open meet in Pittsburgh.

In the three-day meet, KSC set 16 school records, won 10 events, and had a combined 46 athletes earn All-New England honors.

Diving Records (2) ,

11 dive on 1 meter - Tim Thornton (384.75) 11 dive on 3 meter- Tim Thornton (399.85)

Individual Swim Records (11) set at the men's meet include

100 free - Cody Larrimore (46.79) 200 free - Karl Balinski (1:45.30) 500 free - Dan Theleen (4:45.65) 1000 free- Dan Morse (9:50.82) 1650 free- Dan Theleen (16:32.74) 100 back- Mike Germane (55.03) 50 breast- Domingo Rose (27.28) 50 fly- Cody Larrimore (22.93) 100 fly- Cody Larrimore (51.73) 200 fly- John Farrell (2:02.57) 200 IM - Mike Fedele (1:57.07)

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Relays:(5)

200 free relay- Balinski, Pennoyer, Rose, Larrimore (1:26.35) 400 free relay - Larrimore, Fedele, Germane, Balinski (3:11.68) 800 free relay - Germane, Luciano, Fedele, Balinski (7:12.21) 200 medley relay-Germane, Rose, Larrimore, Pennoyer (1:36.56) 400 medley relay-Germane, Rose, Larrimore, Balinski (3:34.32)