FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOWDEN, HASTINGS CLAIM ALL-NESCAC HONORS
Bobcats claim sixth at first conference championships

LEWISTON, Maine — Bates College junior diver Andrew Hastings of Weston, Mass., and sophomore swimmer Adam Bowden of Cumberland, Maine, each finished among the top three in an event to claim All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) honors at the first-ever NESCAC championship meet, held Feb. 23-25 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, as the Bobcats finished in sixth place with 679 points.

Hastings, who has qualified for the NCAA championships for the third straight year in both diving events, placed second in the one-meter event with a score of 432.15 for his All-NESCAC honor. Hastings has finished among the top five in the one-meter event at the NCAAs in each of his first two seasons. He also just missed addingt All-NESCAC honors in the three-meter event, placing third with a score of 451.95. The school record holder in all major diving categories, Hastings will attempt to become the first Bates athlete to win more than four All-America honors in swimming and diving if he is accepted to the NCAA championships March 15-17 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Bowden was Bates' top butterfly performer at the NESCAC championships, taking third place in the 50-yard event to claim his All-NESCAC honor with a time of 23.90 seconds. Bowden also finished eighth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 52.91 seconds. Both times were good enough to establish new school records, surpassing Steve Simmons '98's mark in the 50 and the eight year-old mark of David Fox '93 in the 100. Bowden also finished 17th in the 100-yard freestyle.

The Bobcats had three other swimmers reach the championship finals at the NESCAC meet. Junior co-captain Steve ImigÊof Denver, Colo., was the only other Bobcat to reach two finals, taking sixth place in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 28.22 seconds and seventh in the 100-yard individual medley in 57.06 seconds. Senior David Blaney of Bar Harbor, Maine, placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.76 seconds, while sophomore David Bear of Winter Park, Fla., placed eighth in the 1,650 freestyle after winning his heat with a time of 16:44.25.

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, Weston, Mass.

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

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

Complete results from the NESCAC men's swimming and diving championships are available on the web at http://www.webcom.com/startkit/pj/results.html.