Men's Swimming Cruises to 155-145 Win Over Fordham

Monday, November 23

Bronx, N.Y.

6 p.m.

Columbia

155

145

Fordham

Men's Swimming Cruises to 155-145 Win Over Fordham

11/23/2009 9:00:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving

By: Columbia University Athletics

NEW YORK – The Columbia men's swimming & diving team earned a sound win over Fordham tonight, beating the Rams in the Bronx, 155-145. With the win, the Lions improve to 3-2 in dual meets so far this season.

The first event of the night, the 200 medley relay, saw Fordham take first, while two Columbia squads finished in second and third place. The group of Adam Powell, Eric Tang, Bruno Esquen and Darren Pagan finished second, with a time of 1:35.93, just behind the first-place Fordham group.

The Lions began to edge ahead in the second event of the night, however, as sophomores Chester Dols and Alex Smith went 1-2 in the 1000 free. Dols took first, with a time of 9:48.86, while Smith came in second in 9:52.08. It would be another 1-2 for Columbia in the 200 free, as first-years Patrick Dougherty and Sean Mackenzie finished on top. Dougherty came in at 1:46.98, while Mackenzie was just behind him, in 1:47.43.

Fordham was able to steal away top wins in two sprint events, the 50 back and the 50 breast, along with the 100 fly, but Columbia regained control in the 50 free, when senior captain Darren Pagan took first, in 21.82. The 1-meter board also saw Columbia take the top spot, along with the next two. First-year Jason Collazo earned first place with 266.93 points, while first-year Michaelangelo Borghi came in second, with 260.40 points. Junior David Levkoff rounded out the top three, coming in third, with 257.18 points.

Seniors Ross Ramone and Eric Tang were the next pair of Lions to go 1-2, as they took first and second in the 100 breast. Ramone was the first to touch the wall in 59.49, and right behind him was Tang, in 59.60. The Lions followed that up with a sweep in the 500 free, as Sean Mackenzie took first in 4:47.28, Alex Smith took second in 4:48.88, and Chester Dols took third in 4:49.42. Pagan earned the last win of the night in the 100 IM, taking the event in 53.82.

Up next, the men's swimming & diving team will head to Lewisburg, Pa., to take part in the Bucknell Invitational, a three day championship-style meet, Friday, December 4 to Sunday, December 6.