GENEVA, OHIO - The St. Bonaventure men's swimming and diving team came up 20.5 points short on Saturday night at the 2015 Atlantic 10 championship as they placed behind UMass for second.
Entering the final day of competition, St. Bonaventure was in its pursuit of its third consecutive conference championship. The Bonnies held a 45.5 points advantage over the University of Massachusetts, but the Minutemen closed the gap by placing three swimmers into the top eight in both the 200 backstroke and 100 freestyle events, while SBU only placed one in each event.
In the 200 backstroke, junior Michael Pilyugin placed second overall with a final time of 1:43.74.
Junior Viacheslav Shchukin, who was the 2013 A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer, took home the gold medal in the 100 freestyle with a time of 43.97. Despite the St. Bonaventure victory, UMass ultimately took over the lead following the 100 freestyle event leading 489.5-456. The Bonnies wouldn't go away quietly however drawing even with the Minutemen following the completion of the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly events.
In the 200 breastroke the Bonnies sent two swimmers to the championship final in Matt Goettler and Preston Schilling. Schilling finished sixth overall with a final time of 2:00.84, while Goettler finished fifth overall with a final time of 2:00.61.
In the men's one meter diving event, UMass again placed three in the top eight to take a 563.5-535 lead over St. Bonaventure heading into the final race of the championship meet. In the one meter diving event, Alex Marra completed his outstanding championship meet placing second overall with a final dive score of 305.55.
Trailing by 28.5 points heading into the final race of the meet, the Bonnies placed second overall as the team of Pilyugin, Vatslav Lets, Ripley Danner and Shchukin touched the wall in 2:58.57. The Bonnies needed some help to overtake UMass, but wouldn't get it as the Minutemen held off the Bonnies to win the 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship with a final team score of 589.5 to St. Bonaventure's 569.
Final Team Standings
1.) University of Massachusetts: 589.5
2.) St. Bonaventure: 569
3.) George Mason: 525
4.) La Salle: 449.5
5.) Saint Louis: 415
6.) Davidson: 335
7.) George Washington: 301.5
8.) Fordham: 272.5
