ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca men's swimming team defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 131-112 in the Bombers first home dual meet of the season Saturday. The Bombers held a narrow lead for much of the meet and secured the victory when the quartet of freshman Antoine Connors (Spartanburg/Spartanburg S.C.), sophomore Steve Croucher (Dallastown Area/Dallas, Pa.), senior Mike Ariel (Xaverian Brothers/Norwood, Mass.) and sophomore Joe Gage (Edwin Oscar Smith/Storrs, Conn.) won the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:17.20. Ithaca held a 118-108 lead going into the final relay, and the event win secured 11 team points and clinched the victory. Ithaca is now 2-1 on the season.

Gage also captured the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:47.26 and the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:57.97.

Connors capped a successful afternoon with wins in the 50 free (21.95 seconds) and the 100 free (48.97). Junior Matt Carolan (Northampton Area/Walnutport, Pa.) won the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:06.02 and placed second in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 10:54.34.

Freshman Derek Rand (Amity/Orange, Conn.) was the Bombers' top diver scoring 224.05 points in the 1-meter diving event and 241.75 points in the 3-meter diving event.

Freshman Jeff Rapp (Liverpool/Liverpool) captured the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:03.47 and the 200 Backstroke with a time of 1:59.93 in just his second collegiate meet.

The Bombers compete in a dual meet at Cortland Saturday at 1 p.m.

Complete Meet Results