Diplomat Men Smash Records; Blow Open Lead

Session 4 Results

LANCASTER, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall's men's swimmers posted two Centennial Conference (CC) championship meet records and four NCAA Division III B-Cut times during Saturday's portion of the CC Championships. The hosting Diplomats have been anything but hospitable, breaking off a 174-point lead on the field two-thirds of the way through the CC's final meet.

"I am really proud of the position both teams have put themselves in at this point in the meet," said Diplomats' mentor, Bob Rueppel.

F&M wasted little time in getting going. The Diplomats 200-yard Medley Relay team of Matt Jaffee, Tom Grabiak, David Apple and Matt Woods raced to a CC Championship record time of 1:34.20 to set the gold standard.

Peter Fishler posted the first of the Diplomats' NCAA B-Cuts with a 1:42.57 in the 200-yard freestyle. He edged out teammate Matt Woods in that race. That was the first of two F&M one-two punches on the medal stand. Freshman David Fell just edged out teammate and reigning 100-yard backstroke champion, Matt Jaffee.  Both posted B-Cut marks with Fell clocking a 52.67 and Jaffee logging a 52.76.

That effort followed Grabiak's B-Cut performance in the 100-yard breaststroke. Grabiak touched at 59.86, .05 seconds off of his championship meet record pace swam in Saturday's preliminaries.

Sophomore Greg Mackinnon touched at 4:16.91 in the 400-yard Individual Medley. That gave him the gold medal and .46 seconds on Gettysburg's Pat McDevitt. David Apple collected the bronze medal in the 100-yard butterfly.  

The Diplomats closed out the night the same way they started, posting a new meet record in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Fell, Grabiak, Jaffe and Fishler combined for a 7:00.31, giving the Diplomats the gold and an 8.02 second edge on the field.

F&M is poised to reset the championship meet record for team points on Sunday, the final day of competition at the 2009 championships.

Saturday Medal Count

David Apple

Gold - 200 Medley Relay

Bronze  - 100 Butterfly

David Fell

Gold - 100 Back, 800 Free Relay

Peter Fishler

Gold - 200 Free, 800 Free Relay

Tom Grabiak

Gold - 200 Medley Relay, 100 Breast, 800 Free Relay

Matt Jaffee

Gold - 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay

Silver - 100 Back

Greg Mackinnon

Gold - 400 I.M.

Matt Woods

Gold - 200 Medley Relay

Silver - 200 Free

Cumulative Medal Count

David Apple
Gold - 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay

Bronze  - 100 Butterfly

David Fell

Gold - 100 Back, 800 Free Relay

Peter Fishler
Gold - 200 Free, 800 Free Relay, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Silver - 50 Free

Tom Grabiak
Gold - 200 I.M., 400 Medley Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 100 Breast, 800 Free Relay

Matt Jaffee
Gold - 400 Medley Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay

Silver - 100 Back, 200 I.M.

J.P. Kelly
Gold - 200 Free Relay

Greg Mackinnon

Gold - 400 I.M.

Matt Woods
Gold - 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 200 Medley Relay

Silver - 200 Free