KUTZTOWN, PA - In their first competitive swim meet since defeating Cabrini College back in early December the Men's Swim team (5-2) faced off against a formidable opponent in Kutztown University Friday evening at Keystone Hall.
Despite their best efforts the Lions fell to their Division II opponents by the final score of 145-106.
To start the evening off the 200 yard medley relay team of Chris Sheerer (Leola, PA/Conestoga Valley), Jordan Hash (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehanock), Matt O'Neill (Ridley Park, PA/Ridley), and John Ferrara (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) placed second out of three teams that competed in the opening event. With a combined time of 1:44.27 the Lions finished three seconds behind Kutztown's top group.
Moving on to the individual events, sophomore standout Eric Kramer (Watsontown, PA/Warrior Run) picked up right where he left off dominating the long 1,000 yard freestyle event. With a career best finish of 10:14.09, Kramer defeated his closest opponent by nearly six seconds.
In the 200 yard freestyle Jack Kubacki (Reading, PA/Antietam) recorded a third place finish with a final time of 1:55.36. To date, Kubacki's career best finish in the event still stands at 1:53.61 which he achieved in the season opener against Lebanon Valley College.
Finishing in fifth and sixth place respectively in the 200 were Scott Mermelstein (Elkins Park, PA/Abington Senior) and Scott Ramsey (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown) with times of 2:04.06 and 2:04.86. Sheerer made waves in his first individual event of the new year recording a second place finish in the 100 yard backstroke. The sophomore closed out the heat with a final time of 55.35.
O'Neill also pulled in a second place finish for the Red and White this time in the 200 yard butterfly. With a time of 2:06.51, O'Neill added an additional four points to the Albright score.
The next two events proved to be the most exciting events of the evening. Starting with the quick 50 yard freestyle in which Kutztown's Steve Krater and Kubacki went head to head in what turned out to be one of the closest finishes of the year for the junior. Krater who earned the first place finish managed to sneak past Kubacki defeating him by only .21 of a second.
In the very next event, the 100 yard freestyle, Krater once again found himself in a heated battle taking on another top Albright swimmer in Kramer. Krater managed to pull out the last second victory this time defeating the Albright swimmer by only .7 of a second.
Despite the loss Kramer was far from over in the water as he went on to earn the team's final first place finish in the 500 yard freestyle posting a time of 4:56.09. Sheerer also ended the day on a good note placing second in the 200 yard breaststroke with a time of 2:20.20.
The Lions next competition is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Elizabethtown, PA to take on Elizabethtown College at 1 p.m. in a Middle Atlantic Conference meet.
