WOOSTER, Ohio – Freshman Drew Hamilton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) and junior Aaron Tam (Doral, Fla./Ronald Reagan Doral Senior) each broke school records, and the Case Western Reserve University men's swimming & diving team put the final touches on a fifth consecutive championship at the Wooster Invitational at Ellen Shapiro Natatorium.
The Spartans racked up 1,645 points over the three-day competition to finish well ahead of second-place Ohio Northern University with 1,198.
CWRU's men's program has won the Wooster Invite in all five seasons under Head Coach Doug Milliken.
Hamilton's record during Saturday finals completed a weekend trifecta in which the rookie broke three school records in as many days. Tonight, he swam a 9:38.63 in the opening 1,000 of the 1,650-yard freestyle. The previous 1,000 mark of 9:40.33 was set in 2004 by David Whitbeck. Overall, Hamilton finished the 1,650 in 16:02.28 to place first in the 33-competitor field.
On Thursday, Hamilton overtook a 12-year old school record in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:34.73. He then broke a 13-year old mark in the 400 individual medley with a mark of 4:04.80 on Friday. Former All-American Jon Gellin previously held each record.
Tam broke the 100 free record with a time of 46.07 in the opening leg of the 400 free relay. Senior teammate Eric Haufler (Westminster, Md. /Francis Scott Key) established the previous standard of 46.15 last winter.
Tam also placed runner-up in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:52.04. Haufler finished the 100 free competition fourth in 46.88. Both swam legs for the third-place 400 free relay which finished in 3:06.50.
Additionally, freshman Oliver Hudgins (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) turned in his second top five finish of the weekend with a fifth-place time of 1:54.47 in the 200 backstroke.
The Spartans are now idle from competition until their annual winter training trip in West Palm Beach, Florida. The team is scheduled to face the University of Rochester (N.Y.) at a neutral site on January 4.