Peter Belanger
Peter Belanger

Bentley Sweeps Relays, but Falls to Saint Rose on Senior Day, 155-141

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley University men's swimming team captured both relays, but The College of Saint Rose won 13 of 14 individual events and went on to a 155-141 win over the Falcons Sunday afternoon at the Dana Center pool.

Both relay teams posted Bentley's best time of the year, with Peter Belanger (Andover/ Andover HS) and Steve Sylvia (Westerly, R.I./Westerly HS), two of four seniors recognized on Senior Day, part of both. The 200 medley finished first in 1:39.50 and the winning time for the 200 free was 1:29.06.

The 200 medley also included senior Phillip Chan (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier HS) and junior Josh Witty (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS) while Belanger and Sylvia were joined in the 200 free by sophomores Sebastian Bury (Bellevue, Wash./Newport Senior HS) and Nick Toselli (Barrington, R.I./ Barrington HS).

Bentley's other first-place finish came in the three-meter diving with sophomore Colton Bridge (Tolland, Conn./Tolland HS) posting a season-best score of 254.20. He was also second in the one-meter with a 227.95.

Bentley's 11 second-place finishes included two apiece from Witty and freshman Davis Wilson (Ransom Canyon, Texas/Lubbock HS). Witty was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke (55.99) and 200 back (2:02.77) while Wilson was second in the 200 freestyle (1:49.34) and 500 free (5:05.23).

Five of the other second-place finishes featured team season-best performances. That list included Chan in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.71), Sylvia in the 50 free (22.11), sophomore Owen Karl (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton HS) in the 1000 free (10:28.13), freshman Dennis Witol (Bowie, Md./ Eleanor Roosevelt HS) in the 200 breast (2:23.00) and sophomore Alex Liulakis (Tenafly, N.J./Tenafly HS) in the 100 butterfly (53.60).

Saint Rose was powered by sophomore Eric Howard (Amherst, N.H.) and freshman Elite McRae (Cut Off, La.), a pair of triple-winners. Howard placed first in the 100 back, 200 back and 100 fly, and McRae captured the 200 breast, 200 fly and 200 individual medley.

Bentley, 5-3, will be back in action Saturday at Keene State.