The men's swim team lost another tight meet this weekend to Columbia, dropping its record to 1-7-1, 0-4-1 in the E.I.S.L.
The season has been a difficult one for Dartmouth, as the team has lost numerous times in close events.
A first place finish is worth five points more than a second place finish, creating a 10 point swing every time Dartmouth loses a close event.
Once again, the Big Green came up on the short end of the close events and found themselves with a loss in a hard fought meet.
"It is fun being on this year's team because the meets are exciting," Grier Laughlin '96 said. "It usually comes down to one of the last events."
The Big Green opened up a quick 26-12 lead behind Jon Kenyon '97 and Ben Lannon '96. Kenyon won the 100 yard backstroke in 54.31, just ahead of Laughlin's 54.62. Lannon won the 100 yard breastroke in 1:00.18.
But Columbia dominated the middle of the meet, taking first and second in the next five events.
This left the Big Green divers facing an 86-46 deficit. As usual, they turned in a strong performance.
Grant Cerny '95 took second on the one meter board with 210.15 points, only .22 points behind Columbia's top diver.
Again, the Big Green had come up just short in a close event. Mark Devlin '98 and Jeremy Turk '97 combined for third and fourth.
Dartmouth then swam evenly with Columbia. Kenyon won his second event of the day, the 100 yard freestyle, in 47.96, a season best time.
Laughlin followed that with a victory in the 200 yard backstroke in 1:54.95. The Big Green then won the 400 yard relay, pulling within 34 points with their best events coming up.
But the effects of illness took their toll. Three members of the team were forced to stay home sick and Captain Mark Shukovsky '95 was still recovering.
It was this team that took on a Columbia unit almost twice its size. Without Shukovsky, the Big Green were outscored by nine points in the 500 yard freestyle, putting the meet just out of reach.
Dartmouth came roaring back, outscoring Columbia by 10 points on the three meter platform behind Devlin's victory with 197.925 points.
Then Lannon won his second event of the day, the 200 breastroke in 2:14.53, followed by his teammate Nick Gansner '97 in 2:16.54, who finished three seconds in front of the top Columbia swimmer.
The 800 yard relay team of Laughlin, Doug Doucet '98, Kenyon, and Matt Brenann '98 came through with a victory in 7:13.48. Although the Big Green outscored Columbia 39-15 over the last three events, it was not enough.
"The season has been difficult," Chris Whalen '97 said. "We've been swimming extremely well as a team this season. Unfortunately, we keep coming up tenths of second and tenths of a point short in key events. As a consequence, we've lost all the close meets this season".
But Whalen is not discouraged. "It is encouraging because it means that we are capable of doing much better, and we will at Easterns," he said.
The team goes up against Ivy League rival Princeton this Saturday at noon at the Karl B. Michael Pool.
