February 22, 2009
Pollock Wins Two Golds at Centennials
Shoremen Also Win Silver in 800 Freestyle Relay

LANCASTER, PA - Junior Dylan Pollock (Savannah, GA/Benedictine Military) won two gold medals and broke a school record in the 200 butterfly to lead the Washington College men's swim team at this weekend's Centennial Conference Championships, hosted by Franklin & Marshall. The Shoremen, who finished fifth overall in the team standings, also won silver in the 800 freestyle relay in school-record time.

Day One

Junior Chris Soper (Towson, MD/Loyola Blakefield), Pollock, freshman Nick Longworth (Media, PA/Strath Haven), and senior Dan Wentzel (Exton, PA/Henderson) were fifth in the 200 freestyle relay in a Washington College season-best time of 1:28.92 for the Shoremen's highest finish on Friday. Wentzel swam a personal-best and WC season-best time of 4:53.82 to finish sixth in the 500 freestyle. The Shoremen were also sixth in the 400 medley relay as Longworth, freshman Austin Auger (McLean, VA/Langley), Pollock, and Soper finished in a WC season-best time of 3:38.75.

Sophomore Matt Violette (Westbrook, ME/Westbrook) swam a WC season-best time of 2:02.23 to finish 11th in the 200 individual medley and become the Shoremen's eighth-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Soper finished 15th in the 50 freestyle in 22.55 after swimming a WC season-best time of 22.44 in the preliminaries.

Day Two
Pollock got the Shoremen in the medal count by winning gold in the 100 butterfly in a WC season-best and personal-best time of 52.21. Soper, Longworth, Wentzel and Violette accounted for the Shoremen's second medal by winning silver in the 800 freestyle relay in a school-record time of 7:08.33. Violette was fourth in the 400 individual medley in 4:17.68 after swimming a WC season-best time of 4:17.55 in the preliminaries. Violette, Auger, Pollock, and Soper finished fifth in the 200 medley relay in a WC season-best time of 1:38.97. Auger took eighth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.54 after swimming a WC season-best time of 1:02.00 in the preliminaries to become the Shoremen's sixth-fastest swimmer ever in that event.

Soper finished ninth in the 200 freestyle in a WC season-best time of 1:46.43 to become the Shoremen's third-fastest swimmer ever in that event. Freshman Johnny Helenek (Gaithersburg, MD/Gaithersburg) placed 12th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.68 to become the Shoremen's seventh-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Senior Phil Munger (Devon, PA/Conestoga) was 13th in the 100 butterfly in a personal-best time of 55.95, while Longworth finished 13th in the 100 backstroke in 56.27 after swimming a WC season-best time of 55.54 in the preliminaries to become the Shoremen's seventh-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Wentzel placed 16th in the 200 freestyle in 1:51.42.

Day Three
Pollock won his second gold medal on Sunday night, capturing the 200 butterfly in a school-record time of 1:55.82. Longworth finished one spot out of a medal in the 200 backstroke, breaking a 13-year old school record by placing fourth in 1:57.70. Wentzel broke a 15-year old school record by finishing sixth in the 1650 freestyle in 16:57.28. Longworth, Violette, Pollock, and Wentzel placed fifth in the 400 freestyle relay in a WC season-best time of 3:18.41.

Helenek took 10th in the 200 breaststroke in a WC season-best time of 2:16.51 to become the Shoremen's sixth-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Munger finished 12th in the 200 butterfly in 2:09.20 to become the Shoremen's 10th-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Auger was 12th in the 200 breaststroke in 2:17.17, while Violette finished 12th in the 200 backstroke in 2:02.00. Junior Dan Beadell (Timonium, MD/Loyola Blakefield) was 15th in the 1650 freestyle in 18:15.51, while freshman Ben Longwell (East Greenville, PA/Upper Perkiomen) was 16th in the same event in 20:21.65.

WC Gold Medals (All-Centennial Conference)
Dylan Pollock - 200 butterfly - 1:55.82 (SR)
Dylan Pollock - 100 butterfly - 52.21

WC Silver Medal (All-Centennial Conference Honorable Mention)
Soper, Longworth, Wentzel, Violette - 800 freestyle relay - 7:08.33 (SR)