FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEWISTON, Maine Ð The Bates College men's swimming and diving team finished the season with a ninth-place finish out of 24 teams at the 13th annual New England Division III championships held Feb. 25-27. The Bobcats, who were 8-1 in dual meets this season, scored 515 points at the meet and had three individual performers receive All-New England honors.

Sophomore David Blaney of Bar Harbor, Maine, captured a fourth place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.68, just 0.33 seconds off of his school set record from the previous year. He also earned All-New England honors swimming anchor for the 200-yard freestyle relay with a team time of 1:28.08. In addition, Blaney had a 12th place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.22, and swam the anchor leg for three other relays that came close to earning All-New England status: 200-yard medly relay (ninth place, 1:39.46), 400-yard freestyle relay (10th place, 3:14.43), and 400-yard medley relay (11th place, 3:39.53).

First-year swimmer David Bear of Winter Park, Fla., shattered the previous school record of 17:02.73 for the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:41.29 and earned All-New England honors with his seventh place finish. Although they didn't finish in the top eight, Bear's 800-yard relay team broke the school record of 7:14.69 set in 1993 by 0.99 seconds with a time of 7:13.70. He also competed in the 400-yard IM (12th place, 4:20.23) and the 500-yard freestyle (20th place, 4:50.91).

Sophomore diver Andrew Hastings of Weston, Mass., earned All-New England honors for both his one-meter and three-meter performances. He brought home a third place finish in the one-meter competition with 424.85 points and a fourth place finish in the three-meter competition with 429.45 points.

Other swim team members earning All-New England honors as members of the 200-yard freestyle relay team were junior Mike Jensen of Bedford, N.H., first-year Adam Bowden of Cumberland Foreside, Maine, and sophomore Steve Imig of Denver, Colo. Sophomore Andrew O'Donnell of Leonia, N.J., also broke his own school record of 2:01.33 for the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.02.

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

Blaney is a 1998 graduate of Mount Desert Island High School. He is the son of Richard and Connie Blaney, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Bowden is a 1999 graduate of Greely Senior High School. He is the son of Chris and Ellen Bowden, Cumberland Forside, Maine.

Hastings is a 1998 graduate of Weston High School. He is the son of Ripley and Elizabeth Hastings, 57 Concord Road, Weston, Mass.

Jensen is a 1997 graduate of Manchester High School West. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric R. Jensen, Bedford, N.H.

Imig is a 1998 graduate of Manual High School. He is the son of William and Joyce Imig, Denver, Colo.

O'Donnell is a 1998 graduate of Bergen Catholic High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick OÕDonnell, Leonia, N.J.

Complete results are available at http://www.webcom.com/startkit/pj/results.html#nemen00

For more information on Bates College swimming and diving, please visit our website at http://www.bates.edu/sports/swimming.html