Six Individuals Claim Titles at Day Two of NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Six swimmers representing three different NESCAC teams earned national crowns on day two of the 2011 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Tennessee’s Allan Jones Aquatic Center. Among the NESCAC teams competing at the event, the Williams women's team is third overall for the second day in a row with 217 points, while the Ephs' men's team is in fifth with 120.

Williams sophomore Caroline Wilson claimed the 400-yard IM title for the second year in a row with a championship-record performance of 4:13.90, while junior teammate Bonnie Patchen was fourth in 4:26.94. Joining Wilson atop the podium this evening from the Ephs were junior Logan Todhunter along with men's teammates Gary Roberson and Paul Dyrkacz.

After setting the championship record in the 100-yard butterfly during the morning prelims (52.84), Todhunter won her third consecutive fly crown in the evening in a time of 53.57.

Roberson won his first NCAA title with a first-place performance in the 200-yard freestyle, as the senior posted a performance of 1:37.51. Sophomore Dyrkacz earned his second national crown with a win in the 400-yard IM (3:52.97).

Amherst senior Kendra Stern recorded her second record-breaking performance of the national meet with a time of 1:44.82 in the 200-yard freestyle, the fourth year in a row that Stern has taken the 200 free. Stern has the opportunity for a four-peat in the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday.

Middlebury senior John Dillon repeated as national champion in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 47.62, just .19 seconds off the meet record.

In the relays, Williams was third while Connecticut college was seventh in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Eph women were also runner-up to Emory in the 400-yard medley relay, while Amherst was eighth. The Lord Jeff men finished third in the same event, while Middlebury was seventh.

On the women's side, Amherst is second to Williams among NESCAC teams with 67 points, good for ninth place. Connecticut College is 13th with 41, and Hamilton is 22nd with 18. For the men, Amherst is just 23 points behind Williams in seventh (97), while Middlebury is 10th (84). Tufts is in a three-way tie for 15th overall (28).

Day three resumes Friday with preliminary heats in the morning and championship events in the evening.