The Amherst men’s swimming and diving team kicked off its season with two conference victories, defeating Colby 151-115 on Nov. 19 at home and vanquishing Wesleyan on Nov. 21 by a commanding 168-108 margin. Coming off a 6-2 dual-meet record last year, a fourth place finish at the NESCAC championships and a top-30 finish at the NCAA Division III Championships, the team starts the season ranked number 13 in the nation and is poised to have a very successful season with a combination of new and returning talent.

Amherst recorded 10 first place finishes on its way to the defeat of Colby. Sophomore Josh Chen and first-year Craig Smith paved the way to victory by each winning two individual events. Chen took first in the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.70 and in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:12.20 while Smith claimed the 100-yard backstroke in 53.41 and the 200-yard backstroke in 1:55.58.
Chen and Smith also participated in the first place 200-yard medley relay, which finished in a time of 1:35.89. Alex Dreisbach ’17 and Sam Spurrell ’18 were the other two members of the winning relay team. Other individual first place finishes for the purple and white came from Dreisbach and fellow senior Connor Haley, as well as Spurrell, Nathan Ives ’18, John Janezich ’18 and first-year Jack Koravos. Haley won the 1000-yard freestyle with a mark of 10:12.24, while Dreisbach took the 50-yard freestyle in 21.72.

Spurell took the 200-yard butterfly in 1:55.51, John Janezich claimed the 200-yard freestyle in 1:48.31 and Koravos won the 100-yard freestyle with a mark of 47.83.

Amherst returned to action two days later at the home of the Cardinals. Once again, the purple and white claimed 10 first place finishes, paving the way to the team’s second victory of the season. Four swimmers each tallied two individual wins. Koravos again took the 100-yard freestyle in 47.36 and also added the 50-yard freestyle in 21.36.

Spurrell won the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 23.78 and the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 51.95. Chen placed first in the 50-yard breaststroke in 26.92 and the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.23. Smith claimed the 50-yard backstroke with a mark of 24.82 and the 100-yard backstroke in 52.58. First-year Brandon Wang also contributed to Amherst’s win, placing first in the 400-yard individual medley with a mark of 4:19.61, his first ever collegiate victory. Amherst’s final victory came from the 200-yard medley relay made up of Smith, Chen, Spurrell and Koravos.

The purple and white will next travel to take on a third NESCAC foe, Middlebury, this Saturday, Dec. 3.