CHESTER, Pa. – Homecoming and alumni energy send Widener Men's Swimming to a quad meet sweep on Saturday (Oct. 26) afternoon.
 
The Pride moved to 4-0 and 3-0 in MAC standings after their wins over Hood (194-60), King's (213-30), and Messiah (180-78).
 
OF NOTE
 
Widener celebrated the 1994 MAC Championship Team along with welcoming back alumni from prior years.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The Pride open the afternoon with a 1-2 finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Patrick Rauch, Alex Chan, Josh Cunningham, and Shane Douthit took first with a 1:39.96 while Matthew Niro, Dan Jackson, Kyle Cantrell, and Zach Delgado snagged a second in a 1:41.63.
 
Another 1-2 finish in the 1000-yard freestyle from first year Seth Phillips and sophomore Adam Bailey would extend the Pride lead on all sides. Phillips snagged a new collegiate personal best with a 10:58.27 while Bailey finished in an 11:01.43.
 
The 1-2s kept coming, this time in the 100-yard backstroke as the Pride pulled another 1-2 finish out, this time with Cantrell leading the way. Cantrell clocked a 59.86 to be the sole swimmer under the minute mark. Douthit was close in after with a 1:00.02.
 
First year Alex Chan snagged a first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 1:00.20. Teammate Sean Lehan also continued the trend with a 2:12.30 first place in the 200-yard butterfly.
 
The fastest race of the afternoon came in the 50-yard freestyle as Cantrell won in a 23:04 to finish 0.03 behind Hood's senior Jalen Chance.
 
Dan Jackson's first individual event of the afternoon would be a first place in the 100-yard freestyle. Jackson clocked in a two second win with a 48.16.
 
The Pride would 1-2-3 the 200-yard backstroke as Rauch led Niro and Phillips. Rauch would take first in a 2:03.99, Niro second in a 2:05.63, and Phillips third in a 2:08.47.
 
Chan snagged his second individual win in the 200-yard breaststroke where he hit the wall in a 2:21.21 to win by over three seconds.
 
Joshua Cunningham took first in the 100-yard butterfly with a comfortable 55.48. Bailey (57.66) finished third while Jason Mongiovi hit the wall close behind in a 57.83.
 
Cunningham would go back-to-back with a win in the 200-yard individual medley right out of the second break. He would touch the wall in a 2:11.61 to lead Michael Machristie who finished in a 2:13.86.
 
The Pride ended the afternoon with a 1-2 dominating win in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Chan, Delgado, Phillips, and Niro hit in a 1:29.41 while Rauch, Cantrell, Jackson, and Mongiovi touched in a 1:31.65.
 
UP NEXT
Widener hits the road to Collegevilla, Pa. for a 1 p.m. splash against the 0-4 (0-3 Centennial) Ursinus Bears on Saturday, Nov. 2.