The men’s swimming and diving team continued its winning ways during winter break, beating out seven other teams to win the Henry Kumpf Invitational on Jan. 15 in Troy, N.Y. and defeating the University of Rochester 224–76 on Jan. 22 in their last full home meet of the season to improve to 13–1.

The Bombers finished their first meet of 2011, the Henry Kumpf Invitational hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with 608 points, 57 points ahead of second place SUNY-Cortland along with seven victories in dual meet scoring. The Bombers defeated RPI, Skidmore College, Clarkson University, Roger Williams University, SUNY-Cortland, SUNY-Oneonta and Vassar College at the invitational.

Junior Antoine Connors won the 50-yard freestyle in 21.86 seconds and the 100-yard free in 48.39 seconds. Senior Jeff Rapp won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:00.31 and the 200-yard backstroke in a meet record 1:58.53.

Freshman Taylor Van Cott won the 200-yard butterfly in 2:01.01 and the 400-yard medley relay team of freshman Connor White, sophomore Jake Lichter, Van Cott and sophomore Jake Robbins won their event in a meet record 3:36.14.

A week later, the Bombers celebrated senior day with a victory in its last full scheduled meet at the Hill Center before moving to the Athletics & Events Center next season. The most successful individual swimmers of the day were White, who won the 100-yard backstroke in 53.64 seconds and the 100-yard butterfly in 53.34 seconds and Rapp, who won the 200-yard backstroke in 1:59.34 and the 200-yard individual medley in 2:02.07.

Other individual winners included Lichter, who won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:01.11, Connors, who won the 100-yard freestyle in 49.16 seconds, Van Cott, who won the 200-yard butterfly in 2:00.48, and sophomore Chris Cadwell, who won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:48.07. The Bombers also got wins from freshman John Carr, who won the 500-yard freestyle in 5:05.90, freshman Cheffy Thomas, who won the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:19.07 and freshman Zack Kundel, who won the 50-yard freestyle in 21.72 seconds.

The Blue and Gold were equally successful in relays. White, Lichter, Van Cott and Connors won the 200-yard medley relay in a pool record 1:37.72 and Connors, Carr, Robbins and Kundel set another pool record by winning the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:26.99.  The Bombers also swept the diving events with junior Derek Rand scoring 283.10 points to win the one-meter diving event and sophomore Martin Brown, who had finished second to Rand in that event, winning the three-meter diving event with 260.55 points and beating out Rand. The Bombers won 13 different individual swimming and diving events at the meet and 15 events total.

In addition to celebrating its wins, the Bombers also acknowledged their six senior swimmers and divers: co-captains Steve Croucher, Bobby Gendimenico and Kramer Jakubek, divers Mike Glicini and Norman Nguyen and swimmer Jerry Diamond.

The Bombers return to action at 1 p.m. Saturday against Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y. before holding their last event at the Hill Center, the Bomber Diving Invitational, at 10 a.m. Sunday.