Men's Swimming & Diving | 6/12/2019 10:39:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's swimming and diving team won six dual matches during the 2018-19 season, while placing third at the Liberty League Championships.
 
Under the tutelage of first-year head coach Phil Baretela, RIT excelled at the Liberty League Championships, setting four relay records and three individual records.
 
Sophomore Eric Moss (Irvington, NY/Irvington) enjoyed an excellent season for RIT, setting a school mark in the 200-yard butterfly (1:53.17), while earning three top-five finishes at the Liberty League Championships. He led RIT with 12 wins, 25 top-three finishes and 276 points scored in 2018-19. In addition, Moss was a part of three relay teams that shattered school records (400-yard freestyle relay – 3:07.85; 800-yard free relay – 6:59.69 and 400-yard medley relay – 3:26.87).
 
Junior Derek Rothrock (Ashburn, VA/Briar Woods) shattered a school record in the 50-yard backstroke (24.57 seconds) and was part of both record-setting medley relay teams. He was RIT's top performer in all three backstroke events. Senior Carl Schlehr (Maineville, OH/Kings) and freshman Will Brown (Boulder, CO/Fairview) were also members of both relay teams. Brown recorded 16 top-three finishes in 2018-19 and placed fourth at the Liberty League Championships in the 50-yard freestyle (21.11 seconds). Brown was also RIT's top performer in the 100-free.
 
Freshman Brendan Kapp (Springfield, VA/Trinity School) enjoyed an excellent debut in 2018-19, earning five wins and 16 top-three finishes, while setting a school record in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:08.21) at the Liberty League Championships. Shawn Nevers (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) won four races and recorded RIT's best time in the 100-yard breaststroke (57.90 seconds).

Ben Metzger (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay squads that set school records at the Liberty League Championship. He recorded six top-three finishes for RIT. Adam Reitz (Hilton, NY/Hilton) was also a member of the record-setting 400-yard freestyle relay group.
 
Senior Joe Wang (Framingham, MA/Framingham) was second on the team with 215 points scored, while winning five events and earning 18 top-three finishes. He was RIT's top performer in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:12.88) and 1,650-yard freestyle (16:51.42), while helping set the 800-yard freestyle relay school record at the Liberty League Championships. Mark Truskinovsky (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) and Braden Feasley (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) were also part of that school record squad. Truskinovsky won five races and earned nine top-three finishes, while Feasley had 11 top-three finishes. Will Seifried also added four wins and 11 top-three finishes for RIT

Seniors Tomer Artzi (Framingham, MA/Framingham), Scott Brink (Quincy, MA/Boston College) and Tom Regan (Hollis, NH/Hollis Brookline) provided solid leadership in and out of the pool for RIT. Juniors Jimmy Antonelli and Nicholas Trumper (Richmond, VT/Mount Mansfield Union), along with sophomores Tom Richter (Tokyo, Japan/St. Mary's International) and Tyler Schwarz (Stanley, NY/Marcus Whitman) and freshmen Keanu Pagano (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard), Ethan Davis (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson), Jerry Brushafer (Dansville, NY/Lima Christian), Marco Navarte and Matt Ciminelli (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) added valuable depth for RIT throughout the season.

On the diving board, sophomore Jon Bauer (Fairview, PA/McDowell) won three events and recorded 16 top-three finishes. He was eighth in the 1-meter event and seventh in the 3-meter competition at the Liberty League Championships. He recorded a personal best score of 422.10 in the 3-meter, 11-dive competition. Senior Chase Van Duyne (Auburn, NY/Auburn) added 15 top-three finishes in 2018-19.
 
RIT excelled in the classroom as well, earning its first CSCAA Scholar All-America honor during the fall semester. Fifteen different swimmers earned Liberty League All-Academic honors.
 
The Tigers lose Artzi, Brink, Metzger, Regan, Dominic Ricchio, Schlehr, Van Duyne and Wang to graduation.