FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BEAR, BRISTOL ENJOY RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCES

LEWISTON, Maine -- With a pair of record-setting performances, first-year swimmer David Bear of Winter Park, Fla., and senior track and field captain Erika Bristol of Pittsfield, Mass., have been named Bates College Athletes of the Week for Dec. 6.

Bear helped lead the Bates College men's swimming and diving team to a 129-114 victory over Wesleyan University Dec. 4 in Middletown, Conn. Bear was the only swimmer on either team to win three events at the meet, capturing the 200-yard individual medley (2:05.32), the 500-yard freestyle (4:54.49) and the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:03.95). Bear's performance in the 1,000 free broke the existing Bates record in the event by more than 20 seconds. The previous record was held by sophomore Dan Heneghan of Windsor Locks, Conn., who finished second to Bear against the Cardinals.

"David's was an impressive performance," said Bates swimming and diving coach Dana Mulholland. "It is very rare to see any college record broken in the first meet of the season, especially in a distance event."

Bristol, a tri-captain for the Bates women's track and field team, joined two other Bobcat athletes to compete at Wesleyan in a nonscoring meet. Bristol won the two events that she entered, the shot put and the 20-pound weight throw. Her toss of 36 feet, two inches, in the shot put broke the previous Bates record, held by Lynn Barker '92, by one inch. With her throw of 46 feet in the weight throw, Bristol has qualified for the New England Division III indoor track and field championships and ECAC indoor track championships.

"Erika worked very hard all summer," said Bates women's track and field coach Carolyn Court. "I expect her improvement to continue all season and really give us a boost in the throwing events."

Bear is a 1999 graduate of Trinity Preparatory School. He is the son of Roger and Mary Bear, Winter Park.

Bristol is a 1995 graduate of Mount Greylock Regional High School. She is the daughter of Roger and Susan Bristol, Pittsfield.