GRANVILLE, Ohio-- Denison holds a commanding 249-point lead over second place Emory University after the first day of the Denison Invitational from the Trumbull Aquatics Center. The Big Red are the defending national champions and are ranked No. 1 in the most recent CSCAA Division III rankings. Emory sits second with 553 points followed by Washington-St. Louis (417), Wayne State (Mich.) 333, and Thomas More (58).
Two Trumbull Aquatics Center records fell on Thursday. In prelims, Matt Hedman posted the fastest time in Division III in the 500 free this season with a 'B' cut time of 4:26.22. That time was just shy of his personal best set at last year's Division III championship (4:25.16). Hedman's time broke the record of 4:27.55 set by Aaron Saccurato in 2015.
The second facility record came in the finals of the 200 IM where Bebe Wang posted a winning time of 1:47.85 besting the previous pool record of 1:49.21 set by Jack Lindell in 2016.
The Big Red totaled four NCAA 'B' cuts in the 500 free as Hedman, Drake Horton, James Baker, and Dayen Wilson went 1-2-3-4, respectively. Horton touched in 4:28.96, chopping 2.67 seconds off his prelim time. Baker finished in 4:29.16 and Wilson hit the wall in 4:31.94.
There were four 'B' cut times in the 200 IM, as well. After Wang's winning time, Richie Kurlich finished the A-Final in seventh place with a time of 1:51.17. In the B-Final, Mitch Williams won the heat with a season-best 'B' cut time of 1:51.00. Ryan Stevenson was right behind in 11th with a provisional qualifying time of 1:51.12.
In the 50 freestyle, junior Matt McHugh posted a personal best 'B' cut time of 20.50 to finish third. Kymani Senior was sixth at 20.75 but he hit his qualifying time in prelims with a time of 20.56.
The Big Red closed the first night of competition with a victory in the 400 medley relay. The team of Carson Clear, Tiernan Foster-Smith, Colin MacMillan and Drake Horton edged Emory by .52 to log the fastest time in Division III this year (3:16.35).
In the 200 free relay, Nick Froemming, Senior, Clear, and McHugh teamed for a third-place time of 1:21.79. Both relay times were season-best 'B' cuts for the Big Red.
Denison returns to the Trumbull Aquatics Center on Friday for finals in the 200 medley relay, 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 800 freestyle, and the men's 1-meter dive.
