Men's Swim Set Blistering Pace Through Two Days Of NEISDA Title Meet

KINGSTON, R.I. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's swimming & diving team sits solidly in fifth out of 10 schools through day two of the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving (NEISDA) Championships, held at the Tootell Aquatics Center in Kingston, R.I. on Friday evening.

Senior captain Jacob Wyse (Broad Brook, Conn.) put on a show individually and in the relays, starting first with a runner-up finish (and new school record) in the 200 Backstroke, finishing in 2:00.32, a second and a half from the win. In doing so, he smashed the previous school record of 2:02.16, which Wyse himself set in this very event as a freshman back in 2019. Meanwhile, junior Maksym Ugrak (Newington, Conn.) broke the school record he had just set at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships with a solid sixth-place swim in the 50 Breaststroke, touching the wall in 28.35 seconds, a half-second improvement from his own previous record. It was also good for 13 points. The overall score was critical to USJ's success Friday.

The men capped off the night with a swim to remember: the 400 Medley Relay. Not only did USJ finish fifth and score 28 points, but the relay team beat the school record behind an extraordinary effort. Senior captain Brendan Lynch (Watertown, Conn.), Ugrak, Wyse, and junior Aaron Gauvin (Berlin, Conn.) accomplished the feat with a 3:47.29. The Blue Jays just recently broke the school record in this event during the GNAC Championships as well, which ran from February 4-6 (finishing in 3:53.13).

COACH QUOTE [Brenda Straker]
"I am so happy with the way everyone swam today. We broke several records on our way to impressive finishes and much-needed points. We are really looking forward to all the great things in store for our program tomorrow."

The Blue Jays put themselves in a really good spot for the final two days, sitting in fifth position (out of 10) at 95 points, just 27 points out of fourth place. Roger Williams is currently well-out in front with 474 points, followed by Norwich (263) and Maine Maritime Academy (199). 14 members of the USJ swim & dive teams qualified for this year's NEISDA Championships (nine on the men's side, five on the women's side).

UP NEXT
The Blue Jays will continue on for day three of the NEISDA Championships, which will be held Saturday, February 26. The meet runs through Sunday, February 27 at the Tootell Aquatics Center in Kingston, R.I. Head to www.usjbluejays.com for links to catch all the action!

Follow USJ Athletics
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays