BY: Alexa D'Aiello

EWING, N.J. - The TCNJ men's swimming and dive team held its lead after finishing the second session of their invitational meet with a total score of 1028 points, well ahead of Merchant Marine's 710, highlighted by a massive result in the 800 free relay.

TCNJ started off the finals strong in the 200 medley relay as Andrew Walter, Patrick Sullivan, Andrew Thompson, and James McChesney finished with a winning time of 1:31.09. 

The Lions finished in the top three spots for the 400 IM finals. Ryan Higgins came out on top with a 3:59.40, good for eighth in all of Division III this season, while Conrad Hoody's second-place mark of 4:02.64 landed him inside the national top-20. Jonah Herring was third in 4:10.08.

The trend of sweeping the top three continued with the 100 fly and 200 free. Walter was first with a PR (51:00), Jack Marble recorded one of his own (51:67), and Peyton Broderick (52:07) missed his lifetime best by one-hundredth of a second.

Matt Watts (1:45.77), Brett Clauhs (1:45.96), and Ethan Laible (1:46.31) occupied the top three spots in the 200 free. Watts' time of 1:45.04 in the prelims was a lifetime best, and Laible's was a personal standard. DJ DeSomma placed fourth with a 1:46.71.

Thomas Zdroik took first in the consolation heat for the 200 freestyle at 1:49.54.

The 800 freestyle relay saw a dominating victory by Thompson, Dixon Kahler, Lukas Blach, and McChesney (6:41.15), who blazed their way to the second-fastest time in the nation. Hoody, Clauhs, DeSomma, and Higgins were no slouches either, completing the race in 7:01.70 to rank 20th in Division III. 

Herring was a close second in the 100 back (52.06), but fell slightly behind first place winner Matthew Mizell (51.70). Heerema was third (52.11), followed by Walter in fourth (52.20) and Evan Eckels (53.72) in fifth.

Sullivan was sensational in the 100 breast, placing second with a 57.21 after a personal-best 56.64 in prelims. Ryan VanDeVeen took third with a PR 57.64, and Shawn Kushner registered his own personal best with a 57.71 to finish fourth. 

The TCNJ invitational wraps up Sunday with prelims at 9 a.m. and finals at 2 p.m.