LANCASTER, Pa. – The No. 21 Franklin & Marshall men's swimming team swept the Centennial Conference East Quad Meet on Saturday afternoon to start its 2021-22 season. The biggest win came when the Diplomats topped No. 24 Swarthmore as the Garnet entered the year as the conference favorite according to the coach's preseason poll. The Diplomats defeated the Garnet by a 145-16 score, in addition to victories against Ursinus (W, 214-47) and McDaniel (W, 218-29).
The Diplomats clinched the meet win versus Swarthmore during the 100-yard butterfly, the third to last event of the day. Overall, Franklin & Marshall's successful season debut was highlighted by numerous nationally-ranked performances. Christopher Schiavone recorded the fastest time in the nation in the 100-yard freestyle, winning with a time of 45.43 seconds.
Brendan Cline swam the fourth fastest 50-yard freestyle time (20.54 seconds) to win that event. Cline also posted the sixth-fastest 100-yard butterfly time in the nation (50.15). Willem Stoll was a double winner in the 500 and 1,000-yard freestyle while Alec Wahl took the 200-yard backstroke title.
In the relays, Wahl, Graminski, Cline, and Schiavone won the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:32.24, the fifth-fastest in the country during the early part of the season. Cline and Schiavone were also a part of the 400-yard medley relay with John Devaney and Matt Hopkins, in the second-fastest time nationally to date (3:05.25).
Event Winners
Brendan Cline
- 50-yard Freestyle - 20.54
- 100-yard Butterfly - 50.15
Christopher Schiavone
- 100-yard Freestyle - 45.43
Willem Stoll
- 500-yard Freestyle - 4:45.85
- 1000-yard Freestyle - 9:50.80
Tom Graminski
- 100-yard Breaststroke - 58.20
Alec Wahl
- 200-yard Backstroke - 1.55.54
Relays
- 200-yard Medley (Wahl, Graminski, Cline, Schiavone) - 1:32.24
- 400-yard Freestyle Relay (Cline, Devaney, Hopkins, Schiavone) - 3:05.25
With numerous home meets on the schedule, including the Centennial Conference Championships, the Diplomats will make one their few road trips of the season when they travel to Gettysburg next Saturday for a showdown with the Bullets starting at 1 p.m. Gettysburg hosted the other Centennial Conference action on Saturday and went undefeated with victories against Dickinson and Washington College.
