The Panther swimming and diving teams wrapped up their first weekend of the second semester with a home meet against Bates. The women fell to the 25th-ranked Bobcats by a 163.5-130.5 score, while the men were defeated 192-102. Middlebury returns to action Saturday when it travels to Union with competition beginning at 2:00 p.m.
For the men, Aska Matsuda won a pair of events in the pool, while Mike Chirico earned event titles on both boards. Matsuda was victorious in both the 1,650 freestyle (16:56.20) and the 500 free (4:54.13), while Chirico claimed the 1-meter (255.83 points) and 3-meter diving titles (260.70 points).
Runner-up times in the pool came from Brendan Leech in the 100 backstroke (53.64), Zack Einhorn during the 200 butterfly (2:01.30) and Jake Gaughan in the 50 free (22.33). Another individual runner-up swim was posted by Kevin Santoro in the 200 back (2:00.80).
The 200-yard medley relay team of Leech, Cody Kim, Will Pannos and Corey Jalbert was second in 1:37.79, while the 200-yard free relay team of Gaughan, Jalbert, Pannos and Leech touched with a runner-up time of 1:28.12.
During women's action, Frances VanderMeer and Audrey Hsi were both a part of two event victories. The 200-yard medley relay quartet of VanderMeer, Hsi, Erin Kelly and Maddie McKean started the meet with a victorious time of 1:50.57.
Individually, VanderMeer claimed the 50 freestyle in 24.81, while Hsi touched the wall first in the 400 individual medley in 4:43.13.
Other titles in the pool came from Angela Riggins, who won the 1,650 freestyle by 11.46 seconds in 18:14.28, while Kristin Karpowicz swam to the 500 free crown in 5:17.96.
On the diving boards, Kacey Hertan won the 1-meter event (215.40 points), while Olivia Rieur claimed the 3-meter title (235.28 points).
Additional points were garnered via numerous second-place finishes, including two from Kelly during the 100 breaststroke (1:09.87) and the 200 breaststroke (2:33.11) events, respectively.
VanderMeer was second in the 100 free (54.73), while the 200-yard free relay team of McKean, Kelly, Courtney Gantt and VanderMeer was second in 1:39.66.
