DALLAS, Pa. – Widener Men's Swimming recorded a record-breaking midseason invitational at the Misericordia Cougar Splash on Friday and Saturday.
 
Out of five teams, the Pride took first in team scoring with 574 points to win by over 100 points.
 
RECORDS BROKEN
 
400-yard medley relay: Matthew Niro, Dan Jackson, Jason Mongiovi, Shane Douthit (3:25.66)
200-yard medley relay: Matthew Niro, Dan Jackson, Jason Mongiovi, Jadyn Manning (1:33.60)
200-yard individual medley: Dan Jackson (1:54.88)
100-yard breaststroke: Dan Jackson (57:12)
200-yard breaststroke: Dan Jackson (2:05.78)
100-yard butterfly: Matthew Niro (50.19)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED IN SESSION 1

• Friday evening opened with the first win of the meet in the 200-yard freestyle relay consisting of Shane Douthit, Matthew Niro, Joshua Cunningham, and Jadyn Manning. The four registered a 1:25.04 to out touch Ramapo.
• Jason Mongiovi picked up the Pride's first individual win in the 500-yard freestyle with a final time of 4:48.44 which would fall just shy of his personal best time from high school. Gavin Franklin would sneak into the top 10 with a 5:10.11 to mark a season best by 10+ seconds.
• The first Pride record would fall from Jackson in the 200-yard individual medley. Jackson would touch in 1:54.88 breaking Joe Deighan's 1:55.53 from 2009. First year Michael Machristie would take sixth with a 2:03.59.
• Douthit continued his sprint dominance in the 50 free touching in a 21.27 falling .10 shy of his relay split. Cunningham and Manning marked in the 21s with a 21.73 and 21.89 respectively.
• Ending the Friday session, the second record fell in the 400-yard medley relay. The four marked a 3:25.66 taking down a 2017 record by three seconds.

HOW IT HAPPENED IN SESSION 2

• In the Saturday morning session, Niro, Jackson, Mongiovi, and Manning opened on fire with another Widener record in the 200-yard medley relay. The quad touched in a 1:33.60 to win by a second and de-thrown another 2017 record by two seconds.
• Mongiovi led a 1-2 finish with the help from Pat Rankin in the 400-yard individual medley. Mongiovi would swim a 4:11.24 to mark the top time in the conference. Rankin touched in a 4:22.81 to take the second-best time in the MAC.
• In the 100-yard butterfly, Niro led a 1-4-5 event. He would touch in a 50.19 to take down the Widener record taking down AJ Green's 2018 record of 50.25. Cunningham marked a 53.61 while Manning finished just behind with a 53.85.
• The Moreef brothers led a 9-10-11 finish with Isaiah Moreef touching in a 1:56.10 with Marcus Moreef touching with a 1:56.83. Sean Hourican hit in 1:59.30.
• Jackson's second individual record came in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 57.12 taking down Porter Luksic's 2020 record of 57.81. Jackson's record marks another top time in the MAC for the Pride. Machristie would swim a 1:00.75 marking a new personal best by three seconds.
• Douthit took first in the 100-yard backstroke with a 53.65 while being joined by Pat Rauch registering a 54.55 putting both in the top 10 in conference rankings. Currently the Pride hold the top two spots with Niro's 53.53 and Douthit's 53.65.
• The Pride would take first in the 800-yard free relay dominating the race by 15 seconds. Jackson, Niro, Douthit, and Mongiovi battled the wake of opponents to touch in 7:10.49.
• The distance mile session featured Mongiovi swimming a 17:17.73 to sneak into third in the MAC rankings.

HOW IT HAPPENED IN SESSION 3

• Niro opened the last session of racing with a 1-2-4 finish in the 200-yard backstroke. Niro touched in a 1:55.94 leading Rauch to a second place in 1:59.46 and Rankin in fourth with a 2:01.96.
• Douthit continued with the sprint 100-yard free taking second in a 47.30 to mark a new season best. Manning would hit in 47.49 and Cunningham in a 48.04.
• Jackson's final individual win and record came in the 200-yard breaststroke as he took down Luksic's 2:06.91 from 2020 with a 2:05.78.
• Rankin took a second place in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2:03.82 to move him into the top 10 in conference rankings. Adam Bailey would sneak into the top 10 as well with a 2:04.92.
• The final relay of the meet was led by Jackson, Manning, Cunningham, and Douthit as the quad took second in the 400-yard free relay. The four would finish the meet out for the men's team in a 3:10.51.

UP NEXT
Widener returns to the Schwartz Athletic Center on Saturday, Dec. 2 to take on Washington College in a 1 p.m. meet.