READING, PA - The Albright College Men's Swim team kept their winning ways alive Saturday afternoon defeating the visiting Falcons of Messiah College by the final score of 151-98 at the Albright College Natatorium.
The Lions who have only one loss on their record this season faced off against a very tough opponent in Messiah College. Saturday's meet marked the first time that the two programs have ever faced each other in the Natatorium.
Albright started the afternoon on a great note taking the opening relay event the 200 yard medley with a final time of 1:43.09. The team of Sean Zajdel (Yardley, PA/Pennsburg), Chris Sheerer (Leola, PA/Conestoga Valley), Zach McElheny (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown), and Jack Kubacki (Reading, PA/Antietam) put the Red and White on the right track earning 11 points for their first place finish.
In the afternoon's first individual event Scott Mermelstein (Elkins Park, PA/Abington Senior) endured the long 1,000 yard freestyle event to place second with a time of 12:08.31. Messiah's Branden Brunner took the top honors in the event with a time of 11:05.32. Albright responded right back in the 200 yard freestyle as sophomore Erik Kramer (Watsontown, PA/Warrior Run) put forth another top performance earning a season best time of 1:49.94 to take the nine points for his team.
Behind him were teammates Kyle Torrens (West Chester, PA/West Chester East ) and Ryan McGroarty (Media, PA/Penncrest) who earned seven more points as the duo finished in second and third place respectively.
Zajdel and John Ferrara (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) finished just tenths of a second apart to earn first and second place in the 50 yard backstroke. Zajdel who competed in the event only one other time this season tied his personal best with a time of 26.49.
Jordan Hash (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehanock) and Sheerer kept the Lions momentum alive in the 50 yard breaststroke earning the top two finishes as well. Hash's time of 29.61 was a personal best for the sophomore having competed in the event on one other occasion.
The 100 yard butterfly saw McElhney earn his first individual top finish, as the freshman went on to record of final time of 56.83, which was also a personal best for him. Messiah's Mitchell Young managed to sneak by Kubacki in the 50 yard freestyle defeating him by .07.
Albright would continue to dominate the remainder of the afternoon making a clean sweep in the remaining individual events. Kubacki rebounded very well from earlier taking first in his final two events (50 yard butterfly, 200 yard IM) to give the Lions an additionally 18 points to their lead.
Messiah did manage to have the final say on the day closing out with a first place finish in the 200 yard freestyle relay.
Men's Swimming returns to action Tuesday, December 2 when they travel to Cabrini College for their first non-conference meet of the year. Start time for that non-conference meet is scheduled for 6 p.m.
