Division II national champ and national record-holder Matt Josa was absent for Queens University this week, but that didn’t stop the Royals from easily topping Gardner-Webb University Friday night.
Alex Menke and Nic Eriksson picked up the slack for Queens, winning a pair of events each. Menke was the first to strike individually, winning the 1000 free in 9:25.98. He would later add the 500 free in 4:39.38.
Eriksson, meanwhile, found his highlight in the meet’s final individual event. His 55.22 win in the 100 breast broke his own pool record, and set off Queens to break pool records in both of the meet’s final events. Eriksson also won the 50 free in 21.01.
After Eriksson’s 100 breast win, the Queens 400 free relay followed suit, smashing the pool record in 3:07.42. That relay was made up of Austin Sumrall, Felipe Oliveira, Ben Taylor and Hayden Kosater, and was led by a 46.36 leadoff leg from Sumrall.
Gardner-Webb’s Nathan Lile did his best to keep the Runnin’ Bulldogs in the hunt, winning two events of his own. Lile paced the 200 free in 1:41.97 right after Menke’s 100 free win. Then after Eriksson won the 50, Lile answered back with a 46.31 win in the 100 free.
Lile saved his best stuff for last, leading off the team’s 400 free relay in 45.90 to put Gardner-Webb in the lead. Unfortunately, though, it was a lead they couldn’t hold as Queens’ record-breaking relay charged back.
The meet used a unique scoring format, only scoring down to third place. Winners took home 5, second-place finishers 3 and third-place finishers 1. With that format, Queens triumphed 65-30 over Gardner-Webb. The women of Queens were off this weekend.
