HADLEY, Mass. -- The Bates men's swimming coaching staff has been recognized as the best in the NESCAC this season, senior captain
Marrich Somridhivej is the conference's Swimmer of the Year, and senior captain
Max Cory wrapped up his four years as the highest career point-scorer at the NESCAC Championships, as announced Tuesday by the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
As voted upon by their peers, Bates coaches
Peter Casares,
Boomer Druchniak, and
Ellen Varley earned the NESCAC Men's Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year Award for leading the No. 24 nationally ranked Bobcats to their highest point-total ever at the NESCAC Championships as Bates won a school-record nine events over the weekend. The Bobcats totaled 1,041.5 points to finish fifth overall and turned in 13 All-NESCAC performances. Casares has twice won the NESCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year award but this is the first time he's earned an honor on the men's swimming side of the ledger in his 19 years at Bates. This is Druchniak's second year on the coaching staff and it's Varley's first season as a Bobcat.
Somridhivej (South Windsor, Conn.) is the first Bobcat to win the NESCAC Men's Swimmer of the Year award. He won two individual events and was part of three winning relays at the NESCAC Championships. Somridhivej set NESCAC and NESCAC Meet Records in the 50 and 100-yard breaststroke events. His 50 breaststroke time (23.87 seconds) is the fastest in NCAA Division III history. Somridhivej also contributed to the Bates 200-yard freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relay, each of which broke the NESCAC and NESCAC Meet Records. The Bates 200-yard medley relay also set a new NCAA Division III record with a time of 1:25.57 on Saturday.
Cory (Dublin, Calif.) is the first Bobcat to earn the NESCAC Men's Career High-Point Swimmer Award. He won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, while placing fifth in the 100 butterfly this season. He also contributed to all four Bates relay victories. Cory was part of three relays that established new NESCAC and NESCAC Meet Records (200 freestyle, 200 medley, and 400 medley) and his time in the 100 freestyle (42.92 seconds) is a NESCAC Meet Record. Cory finished this year's conference championships with 89 points and tallied 321.5 points in his career, the most among graduating seniors in the conference.
Next up for Bates is the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships, happening March 18-21 in Indianapolis at the IU Natatorium. Cory is the defending national champion and current Division III record-holder in the 100-yard freestyle.
