Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
La Salle
Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Edged by La Salle, 150-144
12/4/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Dec. 4, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - In a tightly contested meet that wasn't decided until the final event, the Bucknell men's swimming and diving team lost to La Salle, 150-144, Saturday afternoon at Kinney Natatorium. The Explorers took first and third in the final event of the day (400 free relay) to outscore the Bison 13-4 and earn the victory.
Bucknell (5-2) entered the second-to-last event, the 200 IM, trailing 134-124, but Mike Nicholson (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley), Christian Treat (Evergreen, Colo./Clear Creek) and Billy Krause (Huntington Bay, N.Y./Saint Anthony's) swept the top three spots in the race, giving the Bison a slight 140-137 advantage heading into the 400 free relay. The winner of the race was going to be the winner of the meet and the Explorers edged out the Bison foursome of Matthew Segar (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), Taylor Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central), Treat and Eric Sokolosky (Branford, Conn./Branford) by 1.01 seconds.
While Bucknell did not win the last race, it did post eight victories in the 14 events it had at least one competitor. Segar, who won the 200 free and 500 free, was the only multiple winner for the Bison. His win in the 200 free was by 4.08 seconds over the runner-up.
Nicholson, a freshman, had another strong day for Bucknell as he moved into the top 10 on two more of Bucknell's all-time lists. He finished second in the 200 fly in 1:52.12, good for seventh in program history. Nicholson also posted a runner-up finish in the 200 breast, timing in at 2:05.83, placing him eighth on Bucknell's top-10 list. Nicholson, who won the 200 IM on Saturday, now appears on four top-10 lists (200 fly, 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM).
Jonathan Podniesinski (1,000 free), Harris (100 back), Sokolosky (100 free) and Thomas Brown (200 back) posted the other individual victories for the Bison. Additionally, the 200 medley relay squad of Harris, Nathaniel Frye (Franklin, Pa./Franklin), Trevor Reitz (Boynton Beach, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Sokolosky won in a season-best time of 1:33.84.
Bucknell has now lost 16 meets in a row to La Salle, which improved to 5-1 this season.
The Bison will be back in action Jan. 15 against Patriot League foe Army. That meet will be held at Kinney Natatorium.
