February 19, 2006
Thomas Wins Two Medals at CC Champs
Event Shortened Due to Concerns Over Air Quality

LANCASTER, PA - Sophomore Alex Thomas (Towson, MD/Calvert Hall) won two medals to lead the Washington College men's swim team at a shortened Centennial Conference Championships this weekend at Franklin & Marshall College. The championships were suspended on Sunday due to concerns over air quality at F&M's Kunkel Aquatic Center. The event was moved to Swarthmore College for time trials only Sunday evening for the remaining events. Five of the eight schools at the championships elected to swim at the time trials.

A statement released by F&M read, "Despite the best efforts at Franklin & Marshall, College officials have been unable to get the appropriate officials to test the air quality in the Kunkel Aquatic Center. Because the College could not guarantee the health and safety of the student-athletes, officials have shut down the use of the facility."

Conference officials decided that no team scoring or individual medals would be awarded for the time trials at Swarthmore and that no team champions would be declared.

Medalists and individual performances from Friday and Saturday would continue to be recognized, however, and Thomas took home one silver and one bronze. He was second in the 100 breaststroke in a WC season-best time of 59.80 to become Washington's second-fastest swimmer all-time in that event. Thomas took third in the 200 individual medley in a WC season-best time 2:00.67 to become Washington's fifth-fastest swimmer ever in that event.

Junior Colin Soper (Towson, MD/Loyola Blakefield) finished fourth in the 200 freestyle in a WC season-best time of 1:46.73 to become Washington's third-fastest swimmer ever in that event. He was eighth in the 500 freestyle finals in 5:00.83 after swimming a WC season-best time of 4:53.15 in the preliminaries. Sophomore Brandon Becker (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks East) added a fourth-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 57.05 following a WC season-best time of 56.54 in the preliminaries.

Freshman Phil Munger (Devon, PA/Conestoga) was ninth in the 400 individual medley in a WC season-best time of 4:31.90 to become the Shoremen's eighth-fastest swimmer all-time in that event. He also finished 10th in the 200 individual medley in 2:04.40. Freshman Dan Wentzel (Exton, PA/Henderson) finished 10th in the 200 freestyle in 1:50.91 to become Washington's 10th-fastest swimmer ever in that event and swam a 5:00.73 in the B final of the 500 freestyle to finish 14th overall and become WC's eighth-fastest swimmer ever in that event. Sophomore Eddie Raleigh (Hanover, PA/Southwestern) added an 11th-place finish in the 200 freestyle in 1:51.72.

Becker, Thomas, Wentzel, and Soper were fourth in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:28.65, while Becker, Thomas, Munger, and Soper were fourth in the 200 medley relay in 1:39.23. Becker, Soper, Thomas, and Wentzel placed fifth in the 400 medley relay in 3:45.64, while Wentzel, junior Lars Kalp (Everett, PA/Mercersburg Academy), freshman Kevin Lonergan (Milford, DE/Milford), and Raleigh were fifth in the 800 freestyle relay in 7:41.32. All of those relay times were WC season-best times.

At Sunday's time trials, Thomas became WC's fourth-fastest swimmer ever in the 200 breaststroke with a WC season-best time of 2:15.04. Soper moved up to fifth-fastest all-time at Washington in the 100 freestyle in a WC season-best time of 48.85, while Lonergan became the school's fifth-fastest swimmer ever in the 1650 freestyle with a WC season-best time of 18:21.69. Becker added a WC season-best time of 2:06.07 in the 200 backstroke. Soper, Wentzel, Becker, and Thomas posted a WC season-best time of 3:22.17 in the 400 freestyle relay.

WC Silver Medals
Alex Thomas - 100 breaststroke - 59.80

WC Bronze Medals
Alex Thomas - 200 individual medley - 2:00.67