By Zachary Waltz
Staff Writer
The men’s swimming and diving team lost to the Buffalo Bulls 159-135 last Saturday.
Junior Mike Burud and Sophomore Ripley Danner were the only two swimmers to have a first-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke and the 500-yard freestyle respectively.
Coach Sean McNamee said the team used the meet as an opportunity to see times for some swimmers in certain events. He also said he was pleased with the performance of the relay teams as the Bonnies now begin their final preparations for the Atlantic 10 Championships.
“That was the final dual meet of the year, and we were putting some people in events to be able to see final opportunities in their off-events,” McNamee said. “Relays were a really good indicator. They were some of the fastest of the year, and our depth really showed. Now, it is a point of getting some rest, fine-tuning and holding off their tapers to feel they’re optimal during the three and half most important days of the season.”
Senior diver Mike Murphy was the only other athlete to finish in first place at the Buffalo meet, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. Murphy currently has the highest score in the A-10 for both the 1- and 3-meter dives this year.
McNamee said the Sayville, N.Y. native has matured greatly over his four years at Bonaventure.
“He has come along nicely in tough circumstances,” McNamee said. “He had a coaching change after his first year, so he’s had two different coaches. He’s done extremely well, and he’s no different than many of the athletes we have. He’s experienced a rough road at times and has matured nicely over four years.”
Murphy said he tries to look at his events as just part of the team’s collective effort.
“Every time I get up on the board, it is always the team that comes first,” Murphy said. “It’s nice to have individual wins and good performances but when it comes down to it, it’s a team sport and everything I do has to contribute to the whole team’s benefit. So that’s what matters most and hopefully what I do at the A-10s can ultimately lead to taking home the title.”
McNamee said Murphy is a big part of the team’s success at meets.
“Unfortunately, many times diving is unheralded in a sense that out of 13 or 16 events in a meet, only two are diving,” McNamee said. “So sometimes, he gets lost in the mix. Mike has won both boards in every dual meet. With the exception of the Pitt dual meet and the Pitt Invite, Mike won both competitions in every meet. To have those 18 points out of him is a huge luxury in dual meets that we aren’t going to have in the future. He’s had a Hall of Fame-caliber career as far as what he’s done here over four years, and hopefully, he’s going to be able to finish on top once again.”
