Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Swimmer Matthew Segar Named Bison Athlete of the Week
2/28/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 28, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell junior swimmer Matthew Segar (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) added his name to the Bison record books over the weekend as he won the 200-yard freestyle at the ECAC Championships and broke Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Jim Harvey's 23-year-old school record in the event. On Monday, he was named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week, marking the second straight honor for a men's swimmer, following Mike Nicholson.
Segar entered the weekend second on the Bison all-time list in the 200 free with a career-best time of 1 minute, 38.41 seconds, recorded at the Patriot League Championships the previous weekend. He proceeded to touch the wall first in both the prelims and finals on Saturday, posting a record time of 1:38.13 in the finals, .22 seconds better than Harvey's standard from the 1988 NCAA Championships.
The ECAC title was the 14th all-time individual Eastern crown for a Bison, and the third in the last four years, as Luke Trafton won the 1,650 free title in 2008 and Eric Sokolosky claimed the 100 free medal last year. Harvey, who had his long-standing 200 IM school record broken last week by Mike Nicholson and Christian Treat, won Eastern titles in the 100 free in 1987 and the 100 fly in 1988.
In addition to his individual victory, Segar was part of Bucknell's winning 800 free relay squad, which timed in at 6:47.12, the fourth-best time in program history. Segar swam the first leg of the relay in 1:39.19.
A two-time Second Team All-Patriot League selection, Segar currently ranks in the top 10 in Bucknell history in five events: 200 free (1st, 1:38.13), 500 free (2nd, 4:27.75), 1,000 free (5th, 9:42.77), 1,650 free (4th, 15:57.76) and the 200 fly (9th, 1:52.25).
Segar, this year, focused on the 200 free, 500 free and 200 fly, posting a combined 12 first-place finishes and 22 top-three showings during the regular season.
Segar's performance this past weekend helped the Bison to an eighth-place finish at the ECAC Championships, which were held at Pittsburgh's Trees Pool.
