LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee men's swimming team claimed first out of eight teams at the ODAC Relays to open the 2021-22 season on Saturday.
Highlights from the meet:
-The Generals compiled 410 points to edge Roanoke by just one point for the top spot. Lynchburg placed third with 256 points, while Bridgewater (123), Randolph-Macon (92), Hampden-Sydney (53), Virginia Wesleyan (32) and Greensboro (10) rounded out the field.
-W&L won two events on the day but placed second in six events to edge the Maroons. In total, 11 different swimmers compiled at least one top-two finish, while seven swimmers took part in multiple top-two performances.
-Leading the way was first-year
Devin Bateman (Fredericksburg, Va. / Stafford), who won the 3x50 fly relay (1:10.33) along with first-year
Matt Fritz (Reston, Va. / South Lakes) and sophomore
Malachi Eberly (Reading, Pa. / Wilson). In addition, Bateman had a hand in four second-place finishes, which was tied with sophomore
Will Hughes (Fairfax, Va. / James W. Robinson Secondary) and first-year
Baxter Smelzer (Greensboro, N.C. / Page) for the most on the team.
-The other winning relay was the 3x50 breast relay (1:22.78), which was swam by junior
Todd Echols (Winston Salem, N.C. / RJ Reynolds), senior
Steve Warren (Westfield, N.J. / Westfield) and junior
Matt Fricker (Pompton Plains, N.J. / Pequannock Township). Echols also helped the 3x100 IM relay (2:46.50) and 200 medley relay (1:37.69) to runner-up efforts.
Top-two finishes:
Bateman, Fritz, Eberly – 1st place 3x50 fly relay (1:10.33)
Fritz, Hughes,
Dawson Kramer – 2nd place 3x50 back relay (1:13.84)
Echols, Warren, Fricker – 1st place 3x50 breast relay (1:22.78)
Bateman, Smelzer, Hughes, Kramer – 2nd place 400 free relay (3:13.18)
Fritz, Echols,
Colin Whiting – 2nd place 3x100 IM relay (2:46.50)
Smelzer, Bateman, Hughes,
Luke Nagel – 2nd place 500 free relay (4:16.81)
Fritz, Echols, Bateman, Smelzer – 2nd place 200 medley relay (1:37.69)
Smelzer, Bateman, Hughes, Eberly – 2nd place 200 free relay (1:26.98)
Up next:
The Generals will return to the pool next Saturday, when they host Mary Washington at 1:00 pm.
