Tigers nab back-to-back SCIAC wins

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2010) – For the second time in as many Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference dual-meets, the Occidental College men’s swimming and diving team earned a slim victory today at Taylor Pool, defeating the Whittier College Poets 105-100.

After missing practice on Friday with a migraine, Stephen Ratkovich turned in solid performances all afternoon, which included swimming the best 50 free of his career. To open the meet he led off the 200 Medley Relay team and combined with Jeven Dovey, Miner Ross and Adam Kantor to edge Whittier 1:43.90 to 1:43.97, which ultimately provided the difference in the meet. WC had faster splits in three of the four legs of the race, but Ross’s 25.19 fly propelled the Tigers past the Poets.

Kantor won both of his individual events, going 1-2 with Ratkovich in the 50 free, as they swam stroke for stroke, touching the wall in 22.61 and 22.84, respectively. Kantor then went on to place first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.12. Austen Oliver finished in a minute flat to place third and Riley Kimball touched the wall in fourth.

Dovey won the 200 IM by more than four seconds (2:07.65) followed by Kimball and Alex Budig, who earned his first points of the season for the Tigers. Budig went on to score in the 100 backstroke as well, with Ratkovich placing second in 59.89.

Oliver won the 1000 freestyle in 11:08.17 while Will Carlson placed third in the event. Ross also posted a first place finish today, winning the 100 free in 51.32 while Joe Reynolds, who swam his first meet of 2010 today, was fourth. Dovey and Carlson were second and third, respectively, in the 100 breast as well.

Zach Condon swam the 500 free in 5:14.50, 10 seconds faster than his previous best, to place second for the Tigers while Tai McDermott, also competing for the first time in the new year, placed fourth and Richard Dybas came in fifth.

Reynolds, Oliver, Carlson and Condon rounded out the meet with a second place finish in the 800 free relay, combining to swim it in 7:45.75.

Occidental will jump back into the pool next weekend when they hit the road and travel to Claremont, Calif. to compete against the Athenas. Diving begins at 10:30 a.m. followed by swimming events at 11:00 a.m.