GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The Dickinson men's swimming team competed in the Gettysburg College Invitational on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6 over three sessions. The Red Devils had strong performances all around, capped by wins from Samson Qu and the 400 Freestyle Relay team and senior James Wright etching his name in the record book yet again. 

Top Finishes

• 50 Freestyle: Samson Qu, 20.20 - First Place
• 400 Freestyle Relay: Samson Qu, Andrew Kelley, Paul Knecht, and James Wright, 3:04.71 - First Place
• 200 Freestyle Relay: Samson Qu, Jack Engel, Andrew Kelley, and James Wright, 1:23.67 - Second Place
• 800 Freestyle Relay: James Wright, Samson Qu, Lukas Nier, and Andrew Kelley, 6:55.38 - Second Place
• 400 Medley Relay: James Wright, Joe Apat, Andrew Kelley, and Samson Qu, 3:27.12 - Third Place
• 100 Backstroke: Paul Knecht, 52.61 - Third Place

Session One Results

• The Red and White kicked off the invite with the 200 Free Relay, where the A Relay composed of Qu, Engel, Kelley, and Wright took second place overall in 1:23.67, just a second behind the school record. The B Relay finished eighth, where Lukas Nier, Paul Knecht, Henry Lease, and Jace Pedicone finished in 1:27.58.
• In the 200 IM, Paul Knecht set a new personal record of 1:59.79 to take seventh overall. Sophomore Joe Apat touched the wall in 2:01.51 to claim 13th place. 
• Qu conquered the 50 Free yet again, nabbing another first place finish in 20.20, besting his 20.30 PR set at the F&M Invitational. Engel and Kelley went back-to-back in 15th and 16th places, swimming times of 21.80 and 21.87, respectively. 
• Next was the 400 Medley Relay where the A Relay of Wright, Apat, Kelley, and Qu finished in 3:27.12 for third place. The B Relay, made up of Knecht, Lease, Pedicone, and Engel, took eighth place in 3:36.58

Session Two Results

• The Red Devils opened the second session in the 200 Medley Relay, taking fourth place when Wright, Apat, Knecht, and Qu finished in 1:34.11, two seconds behind the school record. Cole Newman, Lease, Pedicone, and Damon Buchanan rounded out the top ten in 1:40.46.
• In the men's 400 IM, sophomore Matthew Ferenz tallied an eighth place finish with his 4:35.30 swim. 
• Qu had another strong swim in the 100 Fly, notching a fourth place finish in 49.74 for a new personal record. Wright claimed another top ten finish, touching the wall in 50.66 for seventh place. Knecht closed out the top ten with a strong 51.63 finish to set a new personal record.
• In the 100 Breast, Red Devil seniors Lease and Paul Florio went back-to-back in 10th and 11th places, swimming times of 1:00.92 and 1:01.94 respectively.
• Knecht continued his strong rookie season with a third place finish in the 100 Back, recording a time of 52.61 for a new personal record.
• The Red Devils took a second place finish in the 800 Free Relay, when Wright, Qu, Nier, and Kelley finished in 6:55.38, under a second from setting a new school record. Notably, Wright's leg of the race broke the school record in the 200 Free, etching in a new time of 1:40.04. The B Relay, Engel, Apat, Tyler Ferenz, and Buchanan, placed eighth with their 7:25.52 finish. 

Session Three Results

• The Red and White opened the third and final session in the 1650 Free with Buchanan taking 11th overall with a 17:30.49 finish.
• Wright tallied another top five finish in the 100 Free, touching the wall in 46.49 for a fourth place finish. In tenth place was Kelley with a 47.44 finish, with Nier following closely in 47.57.
• In the 200 Breast, Apat had a great 2:13.61 swim good for a fourth place finish. 
• The 200 Fly featured Florio's 1:59.94 performance for a sixth place finish. Tyler Ferenz and Buchanan took 13th and 14th, tallying times of 2:10.24 and 2:11.02. 
• The Red Devils took a huge victory in the 400 Free Relay where the squad made up of Qu, Kelley, Knecht, and Wright finished in 3:04.71. The finish is just shy of the school record set by Wright, Kelley, Nier, and Qu set at the recent F&M Invitational, but still bested the previous record. Qu's lead-off leg qualified him for a NCAA B-Cut in the 100 Free, with his time of 44.95.

What's Next?
The Dickinson Red Devils will open the New Year at home, hosting the Dickinson Tri-Meet on Friday, January 16. The meet will feature teams from Bloomsburg University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and events are set to start at 3 p.m. in the Clarke Aquatic Center.