Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots Men's Swim Team hit 15 NAIA cuts and posted 12 first-place finishes in their 165-80 season opening win over Lindsey Wilson Saturday at the Dinah Taylor Aquatic Center.  Cumberlands hit seven "A" cuts and eight "B" cuts on the afternoon.

Leading the way for the Patriots were Viktor Lyson, Jacob Smith, and David Groh.  Lyson won the 100 butterfly touching the wall in 51.70, which is two seconds faster than the NAIA "A" standard.  He also posted a first place finish in the 100 yard back with a time of 53.51. 

Smith, a reigning two-time All-American, hit an "A" cut in the 200 breaststroke after touching the wall in 2:10.64.  He also won the 100 breaststroke and hit a "B" standard in the 100 breaststroke (59.91).  Groh posted a 203.40 in the one-meter dive completion to qualify for the NAIA National Championships. 

Newcomer Daric Sundeen hit UC's final individual "A" standard of the meet after swimming 54.25 in the 100 backstroke.  He followed that up by touching the wall in 1:58.78 in the 200 back to hit a "B" cut.  Joel Westerlind also hit one of his two "B" cuts in the 200 back as he swam 2:00.42.  Westerlind's other standard came in the 200 individual medley where he touched the wall in 2:00.86.

Bryce Pierce and Michael Monday posted a one-two finish in the 200 free.  Pierce won the event going 1:48.70, while Monday touched the wall in 1:50.46. Both of those times were "B" cuts.  Monday also led quartet of Patriots swimmers in the 100 free with a time of 50.29.

Alan Senn notched a pair of first place finishes. After opening the meet by going 10:10.02 in the 1000 free, Senn went 4:58.80 in the 500 free to earn his first national cut of the season.  Carl Rogne earned the Cumberlands final individual standard of the afternoon as he swam 2:03.31 in the 200 butterfly.

In the final event of the meet, the 400 free relay, Monday, Lyson, Chase Simmons, and Bryce Pierce teamed up to win the event with a time of 3:16.78.

The Patriots return to the water Saturday, October 14, when they travel to Barbourville, KY to face Union and Bethel in a tri-meet.  The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

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