Keydets Edged in Thrilling Season Opener

Men's Swimming and Diving VMIKeydets.com

Keydets Edged in Thrilling Season Opener

LEXINGTON, Va. – In a battle that came down to the final yards, the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs edged the VMI Keydets 212-208 in men's swimming and diving action Friday evening, in front of a capacity crowd at Clark King Pool on VMI Post. The relay meet was VMI's season opener.

The Keydets (0-1) got off to a strong start, buoyed by wins in the 3X100-yard breaststroke relay, the 800 free relay and the 200 free relay. When the 3-meter diving scores for Mitch Sikes and Raymond Long were recorded, the Keydets appeared to have the inside track at an upset and the first VMI dual win ever over Gardner-Webb. The Runnin' Bulldogs (1-0), however, salvaged the win in the final two events. With the boisterous crowd on its feet, GWU swept the 4X100-yard individual medley relay, going 1-2-3, and would win the 400-yard free relay as well.

That brought the event down to the final yards of that 400-yard free relay, with relay teams from VMI and GWU battling for second place. A Keydet second-place result would have given VMI a tie in the meet's scoring, but Sam Wilson of Gardner-Webb just out-touched VMI's Christian Rowcliffe in a thrilling finish to conclude the contest, and give the Runnin' Bulldogs the victory outright.  

VMI's first win of the night came in the 3X100-yard breaststroke relay, as Stephen Lloyd, Marcus Sutter and Matt Rowe teamed up for the triumph with a time of 3:08.92. Lloyd got the squad off to a strong start at 1:02 over the first 100 yards, but it was Rowe's closing that gave VMI the victory. The freshman blasted through the final 50 yards in 33.51 seconds, the same speed as Lloyd, the school record holder in the 100-breast, had done, and in the process, erased a near two-second deficit to grab the victory.

The Keydets also took the victory in the 800 free relay, posting a time of 7:18.15 in doing so. Christian Shaner, Sean Moore, Jeff Whiteman and Rowcliffe were the squad to accomplish that result, as the young team, comprised of three freshmen and a sophomore, were the victors.

Meanwhile, Chris Dreikorn, Connor McMahon, Peyton Bailey and Rowcliffe posted a 1:28.43 clocking to win the 200 free relay. VMI was also third in that event, as Jared Redding, Joe Lincoln, Thomas Brown and Clarke Ruska were timed at 1:32.44.

Ruska, Bailey and Jeremy Senn had teamed up earlier in the night to take second place in the 3X100-yard backstroke relay (2:45.93), while Shaner, Moore and Whiteman were runners-up in the 3X500-yard free relay (15:05.52). VMI's two divers in action alternated high scores, as Sikes recorded a 218.40 to Long's 203.70 on the 1-meter board, but Long outpointed Sikes 238.85 to 227.05 in the 3-meter discipline. Those 3-meter scores were the last recorded before the dramatic final two events.

A handful of VMI swimmers saw action in several events, led by Lincoln's seven swims and Rowcliffe's five.

VMI swimming and diving will return to action Saturday, taking part in a tri-meet hosted by Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Action with the Hokies and Gardner-Webb will get underway at 11 a.m. 

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Players Mentioned

Chris Dreikorn

Chris Dreikorn

Back/Free
Junior
Peyton Bailey

Peyton Bailey

Back
Freshman
Thomas Brown

Thomas Brown

Fly/Free
Junior
Joe Lincoln

Joe Lincoln

Free
Freshman
Stephen Lloyd

Stephen Lloyd

Breast/Free
Sophomore
Raymond Long

Raymond Long

Dive
Freshman
Connor McMahon

Connor McMahon

Free/IM
Sophomore
Sean Moore

Sean Moore

Free
Freshman
Jared Redding

Jared Redding

Fly
Freshman
Christian Rowcliffe

Christian Rowcliffe

Free
Freshman
Matt Rowe

Matt Rowe

Free
Freshman
Clarke Ruska

Clarke Ruska

Back
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Chris Dreikorn

Chris Dreikorn

Junior
Back/Free
Peyton Bailey

Peyton Bailey

Freshman
Back
Thomas Brown

Thomas Brown

Junior
Fly/Free
Joe Lincoln

Joe Lincoln

Freshman
Free
Stephen Lloyd

Stephen Lloyd

Sophomore
Breast/Free
Raymond Long

Raymond Long

Freshman
Dive
Connor McMahon

Connor McMahon

Sophomore
Free/IM
Sean Moore

Sean Moore

Freshman
Free
Jared Redding

Jared Redding

Freshman
Fly
Christian Rowcliffe

Christian Rowcliffe

Freshman
Free
Matt Rowe

Matt Rowe

Freshman
Free
Clarke Ruska

Clarke Ruska

Freshman
Back