ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Case Western Reserve University men's swimming & diving team opened its 2011-12 campaign with a 3-0 performance at the University of Rochester Quad Meet on Friday and Saturday, October 28-29 at the Speegle-Wilbraham Aquatic Center.
The Spartans defeated Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.), 191-173, New York University, 214-150, and host Rochester, 205-159.
On day one, the Spartans got a strong showing in relay events.
The 800-yard freestyle relay team placed first as the quartet of freshmen Eric Haufler (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) and Elliot Kerbel (Skokie, Ill./Niles West) along with sophomores Heath Hudgins (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) and Scott McHenry (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) touched the wall in 7:10.83.
The 400 medley relay team placed second as the quartet of freshman Alex Haufler (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key), sophomore Sean Nickley (Springfield, Va./West Springfield), Eric Haufler and sophomore Gus Bailey (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City) finished with a time of 3:33.04.
The 200 free relay squad of Kerbel, freshmen Tony Zhang (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) and Andrew Bollinger (Boulder, Colo./Fairview) and Bailey placed second in 1:26.94.
Individually, Clyde captured second in the 200 individual medley with a mark of 2:01.34.
On day two, sophomore Daniel Jacobson turned in a pair of top-two finishes. The team's 2011 Rookie of the Year won the three-meter event with 258.55 points and placed second on the one-meter board with 256.60.
Relays were effective again as the 200-yard medley team of Alex Haufler, Nickley, Eric Haufler and Bailey won in 1:37.56. The 400 yard medley quartet of Eric Haufler, Zhang, Kerbel and Bailey won in 3:11.70.
Individually, Nickley won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:00.72 and the 200 breaststroke in 2:13.77. Bailey won the 50 free in 21.59. Eric Haufler was runner-up in the 100 yard free at 47.93 and the 200 free at 52.15. Alex Haufler won the 200 back in 1:56.66 and placed third in the 100-yard backstroke in 54.54
After a week off from competition, the Spartans return to the pool on Friday and Saturday, November 11-12 with the Veale Classic Duals at Veale Natatorium in Cleveland. Case opens the weekend versus John Carroll University at 7:00 p.m. on Friday then closes out the meet on Saturday at either 12:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m.
