Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
La Salle
Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Wins Final Dual of 2011, 171-127 at La Salle
12/3/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Dec. 3, 2011
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Sophomore Mike Nicholson (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) won three events, while seniors Matthew Segar (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and Thomas Brown (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) claimed two apiece, leading the Bucknell men's swimming and diving team to a 171-127 victory at La Salle Saturday afternoon. It was the final dual meet of the 2011 calendar year for the Bison, who improved to 4-1 on the season.
Nicholson, who also posted three first-place finishes earlier this year in dual meets against UMBC and George Washington, as well as the Bucknell Invitational, claimed the 200 fly, 200 breast and 200 IM on Saturday. He was followed in second place by freshman teammate Ben Seketa (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) in the 200 breast and 200 IM, while junior Billy Krause (Huntington Bay, N.Y./Saint Anthony's) was the runner-up in the 200 fly. Nicholson, who has finished lower than first in just one race all season, captured his three events by a combined 8.83 seconds.
Brown's victories came in the 100 and 200 backstroke events, while Segar, who was fresh off recording a U.S. Olympic Trials-qualifying time in the 200 free at the AT&T Winter Nationals in Atlanta, Ga., on Friday, won the 200 and 500 free on Saturday. He led a 1-2-3 Bison sweep of the 500 free as he was followed by Erik Heinemann (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor) and Matt Ramey (Ruffs Dale, Pa./Southmoreland).
Bucknell's other individual wins came from Heinemann in the 1,000 free and Eric Sokolosky (Branford, Conn./Branford) in the 100 free. The Bison swept the top three spots in both events. Bucknell had the three fastest swimmers in three total events against the Explorers.
Overall, the Bison had nine individual victories, all in individual swimming events, in the meet's first 15 events before swimming exhibition in the final event, the 400 free relay.
Saturday's victory was the 31st of sixth-year head coach Dan Schinnerer's tenure at Bucknell. He moved into a tie for fourth place with Lynn Kachmarik on the program's all-time wins list that is topped by Dick Russell (154).
The Bison will now be idle for more than a month as their next competition is Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Colgate.
