Bates College

Senior captain Matt Gagne led the Bates men's swimming and diving team in an outstanding three-day performance at the NESCAC Men's Championships last weekend at Middlebury College, earning four All-NESCAC awards for top-three event performances as the Bobcats took fifth place, the team's best since the annual meet began in 2001.

Gagne (Winnetka, Ill.) won the conference title in the 50-yard butterfly, placed second in the 100-yard butterfly, and had a part in Bates' two All-NESCAC relay squads, in the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay. He rewrote team records in all four of those events, as well as in the 200 fly and the 400 free relay. 

Gagne's 200 free relay teammates were fellow senior Andrew Briggs (York, Maine) and freshmen Joshua Rines (Hollis, N.H.) and Theodore Pender (Aspull, England). His 200 medley relay teammates were Briggs, Pender and junior Ben Sommer (Evanston, Ill.). Bates' 400 medley relay team comprised first-year Riley Ewing (Bedford, N.H.), Briggs, Gagne and Rines.

A year ago, Gagne became the first Bates man to compete at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships in 10 years. This year he is a shoo-in to make a second trip to nationals, taking place March 18-21 in Shenandoah, Texas, and he hopes to be joined by some of his teammates.