WELLESLEY, Mass.  -  The Coast Guard men's swimming & diving team won their sixth straight meet to start the season today, defeating Connecticut College by a score of 179-117 at Wellesley College. The dual first Coast Guard was the first competitive action of the 2024-25 season for Conn College.

The Bears earned first-place finishes in nine of the day's events. Senior captain and 2023-24 CSCAA All-American Colin Twiss won three events: the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:39.27, the 100-yard freestyle with a 45.72, and the 500-yard freestyle with a 4:40.67. Fellow senior captain and All-American Sean Lyman outswam his competition in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a 9:36.66 and the 200-yard individual medley with a 1:56.01.

Freshman Zachary McGowen swam the top time in two events for the Coast Guard, clocking a 52.99 in the 100-yard backstroke and a 1:55.64 in the 200-yard backstroke. Sophomore Blaise Minckler was the Academy's only other individual race winner, swimming a 2:04.41 in the 200-yard breaststroke. Finally the Bears won two relays - the team of sophomores Michael Carden, John Kaleta, junior Charles Gaines, and sophomore Noah Reice won the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:35.62; and the team of McGowen, Reice, junior Victor Parks, and Twiss won the 200-yard freestyle relay with a 1:24.59.

The Bears will be back in the pool next Saturday, November 23rd, heading to Western Mass for a dual meet against NEWMAC rivals Springfield College.