Teams: Men's Swimming & Diving: Press Releases

Friday, February 6, 2004

MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING 8-0 HEADING INTO FINAL DUAL MEET
Written by Elliott Wiley, Jr.

MEDFORD -- The Tufts Men's Swimming & Diving team is legit once again. The 2003-04 Jumbos have conquered every opponent they have met thus far en route to an 8-0 start. This is Tufts' fourth consecutive eight-win season.

The team has accomplished its perfection with many excellent individual performances this season. The most recent came during a spectacular 229-69 victory against NESCAC opponent Bates College on January 31.

In the meet, senior Tyler Duckworth (Burnsville, MN) broke the Bobcats' pool record in the 200 yard Butterfly with a time of 2 minutes, 0.16 seconds. In addition, Duckworth won the 200 Breaststroke (2:14.32) and the 200 Individual Medley (2:01.59).

Duckworth isn't the only swimmer to put in yeoman's work over the season. There have been many contributors to Tufts' success in the pool.

Sophomore Jon Godsey (Dallas, TX) has been dominating the competition in the 100 Backstroke. He placed first at Bates in 54.71 seconds and at UMass-Dartmouth (56.21) on November 22. Godsey proved he is equally fast at a longer distance by taking home the gold at Babson in the 200 Backstroke (2:03.06) on December 4. The backstroke specialist also showed versatility against Trinity on January 24 by stealing first place in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 50.07 seconds.

Godsey is also a member of the "B" 200 Medley Relay team. The squad, composed of Godsey, junior Michael Rochette (Cumberland, RI), sophomore Jason Kapit (Garrett Park, MD), and freshman Sloan Harris (Ardsley, NY), placed first against Bates (1:39.78), Trinity (1:42.75), and second at MIT (1:38.35) on January 18. Sophomore Brett Baker (Englewood, CO) stepped in for Kapit against Wesleyan on January 17, but the team didn't miss a beat placing first with a time of 1:39.54.

All members of the Medley Relay team have been successful on their own, but only one, Harris, is a freshman. Specializing in the Freestyle races, Harris has not performed like a freshman. Against Trinity and Wesleyan, he took first in the 200 Freestyle (1:46.85 and 1:47.48) and against MIT he placed second with a time of 1:47.53. Harris participated in the 50 Freestyle against Trinity and just like the 200, he took first place with a time of 22.44 seconds. At UMass-Dartmouth he swam in the 500 Freestyle and nabbed first place after 4:58.18 of swimming.

The second leg of the Medley Relay, Rochette holds his own in the Breaststroke. The junior has thrived in the 100 event. He placed first at Bates (1:02.69) and at UMass Dartmouth (1:03.60). In the two meets he didn't place first in the event, Rochette swam just as well. Against Wesleyan, he placed second with a time of 1:02.98 and at MIT he took third with a time of 1:01.79. Duckworth took second in the event in a time of 1:01.14 that day.

Kapit is as multi-dimensional as they come. He regularly participates in multiple events, swimming different strokes. Among his first place finishes are the 200 Freestyle (1:49.01) at Bates, the 100 (53.60) and 50 Butterfly (24.56) against Trinity, and the 200 Butterfly (1:58.38) at MIT. Even when Kapit doesn't finish first, he still puts in a good showing. Against Wesleyan, the sophomore placed second in the 200 Butterfly (1:58.86) and second in the 200 Individual Medley race at Babson (2:03.48).

Baker has also shown versatility and consistency as an individual swimmer. He finished first in the 50 Backstroke (26.30) against Trinity. He also took first in the 100 Freestyle at Babson and first in the 200 Freestyle at MIT with times of 50.28 and 1:47.16 respectively. Baker has come up just short of first place a couple times, but still managed to place second in the 100 Backstroke (56.08) at Bates and the 200 Freestyle (1:52.30) against Wesleyan.

On Saturday (Feb. 7), Tufts travels to Williamstown, Massachusetts to put its undefeated record on the line against perennial powerhouse Williams College.

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