Richard Smith Sets Three BSU Swim Marks at Colby-Sawyer Invitational

NEW LONDON, N.H. -- Bridgewater State University junior Richard Smith eclipsed three BSU men's swimming records to lead the Bears at the Colby-Sawyer Invitational on Saturday. 

Smith set new standards in the 400 individual medley, the 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

Smith posted a winning time of 4:10.99 in the 400 individual medley as he broke Hajime Yoshimura's previous program mark of 4:15.69 set in 2002.

The Milford, Massachusetts product also placed first in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:08.08 as he bettered Philip Tully's 2012 mark of 2:10.90.

Smith capped off his record-setting day with a win in the 200 individual medley. He posted a time of 1:57.01 to knock off Yoshimura's 2002 record of 1:58.88.

Freshman Dylon Willis (Attleboro, Mass.) eclipsed the BSU men's swimming record in the 100 breaststroke. Willis posted a winning time of 59.97 seconds as he broke Paul Harrington's previous school mark of 1:00.18 set nearly 20 years ago in 1997. Willis is the first BSU swimmer to be under a minute in the event.

Sophomore Jameson Rose (Somerset, Mass.) placed first in the 100 backstroke (54.60), the 200 backstroke (2:01.01) and the 100 butterfly (55.99).

The Bears also won both relay events. Rose, Willis, sophomore Robert McDougall (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) and Max Medina (Marion, Mass.) grabbed top honors in the 200 medley relay (1:39.88), while Rose, Medina, Smith and Giulian Santos (Framingham, Mass.) placed first in the 400 freestyle relay (3:20.86).

Medina, junior Andrew Hebert (Lincoln, R.I.) and sophomore Alexander Belinsky (Norton, Mass.) also won individual events. Medina in the 50 freestyle (22.67), Hebert in the 200 butterfly (2:12.44) and Belinsky (Norton, Mass.) on the one-meter diving board (173.25 pts).

The BSU men's swimming & diving team placed first out of five teams at the meet with a score of 521 points.

The Bears are off until Saturday, January 7th when they host Elms College at one.