02/27/2009
Record-Breakers Spark Day 1 at NEWMAC Men's Swim & Dive Championships

NORTON, MASS. 2/27/09 - And now it's the men's turn. Four new school records and an NCAA Championship provisional qualifying mark launched Clark University to a solid day at the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's swimming and diving championships held at Wheaton College's Balfour Natatorium.

Freshman Ryan Garr (Kingston, RI) broke his own record and turned in an NCAA "B" cut performance in the 100 back (52.72) during the opening leg of the 400 medley relay, which also set a new school standard. Garr teamed up with Cooper Hart, Dan Howard, and Drew Jackson to swim to a fifth place and record-breaking 3:35.52 finish, surpassing the previous standard (3:41.52) set back in 2002. Garr also raced to a seventh place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (21.62).

Senior Drew Jackson broke the previous Clark record in the 500-yard freestyle (4:46.89/John Trautner '96) twice on Friday. He finished the race in 4:45.24 during the preliminaries and went on to break the record by just over two seconds with his fifth place time of 4:44.80 in the finals.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Lamar Duffy, Garr, Cooper Hart and Jackson also vanquished the 21-year old Clark mark of 1:29.16 in the event. They combined for a 1:28:04 time in the prelims and finished sixth in a time of 1:28.24 in the finals.

Hart missed a new school standard by just .10 with his 13th place, 1:59.94 finish in the 200-yard individual medley.

After a grueling day of competition, Clark finished in fifth with 96 points. Day two of NEWMAC Championships will begin at 11 am tomorrow.

Team Standings

1. MIT, 265

2. Coast Guard, 232.5

3. Springfield, 175

4. WPI, 118

5. Clark, 96

6. Wheaton, 86

7. Babson, 78.5

Clark Records

Prelim: 200-yard freestyle relay  8th/1:28.04 (Garr, Duffy, Hart, Jackson)

500-yard freestyle  5th/4:44.80 (Jackson)

400-yard medley relay  5th/3:35.52 (Garr, Hart, Howard, Jackson)

100-backstroke  Garr (52.72)