Men’s Swimming Places Second on Day One of GNAC Invitational

BOSTON, Mass. – Elms College sophomore Ethan Etheridge (Pawtucket, R.I.) set a new Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Invitational meet record and a new Blazers' school record and helped pace Elms to a second place finish in day one action at the 2013 GNAC Invitational hosted by Simmons College in Boston, Mass.

Norwich University leads the two-day invitational with a score of 155 points, followed by Elms with 106 points, Regis College with 70 points, Saint Joseph's College (Maine) with 67 points and Husson University with 38 points.

Etheridge won the 100-yard breaststroke in a new meet-record time of 1:02.03 and placed second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:06.54 to set a new Elms school record.

Sophomore Stephen Lynch (Madison, Conn.) powered to a time of 1:51.54 in the 200-yard freestyle to tie the Blazers' school record and win the event.

Senior Keegan Goan (Westbrook, Maine) added a victory in the 50-yard butterfly, while freshman Nicklaus Cirillo (Gloversville, N.Y.) clocked a time of 5:09.43 to win the 500-yard freestyle.

Elms' 400-yard medley relay team of Lynch, Etheridge, Goan and senior Aaron Starke (Chicopee, Mass.) also swam to a new meet record in a first place time of 3:47.15.

Goan also added a third place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (55.94), Starke placed third in the 50-yard freestyle (23.61) and Cirillo added a third place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (1:55.75).

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of junior Niels Thomsen (Southington, Conn.), sophomore Kyle Murphy (Holyoke, Mass.), sophomore James Grippo (Longmeadow, Mass.) and Cirillo contributed a fourth place finish with a time of 1:40.75 in the event.

The Blazers resume GNAC Invitational action on Sunday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m. with finals set for 5:00 p.m.