GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Brian Fiorillo earned two more Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association swimming championships Thursday to help Albion College make a charge at the league's elite teams on the first full day of the championship meet.
Fiorillo joined Austin Bateman, Derek Bosko, and Brad Melpolder to win the 200-yard freestyle relay and he became a three-time champion in the 50 freestyle when he sprinted home in 20.60 seconds.
Coach Jake Taber said the relay to open the evening session produced a wave of momentum that helped the Britons stay five points behind third-place Kalamazoo College and 33 behind second-place Hope College in the team standings.
"It was a good day for us," Taber said. "We came out of the gate with a good relay and the energy became contagious."
School records fell Thursday as Josh Boren broke Erik Scollon's 21-year standard in the 200 individual medley with a third-place trime of 1:55.08 and Tom Parsons achieved a time of 52.80 on the backstroke leg of the 400 medley relay.
Albion secured 70 points in just two freestyle events. The 50 free was good for 38 points as Bosko finished behind Fiorillo in fifth, and Austin Bateman swam in the consolation heat. The Britons collected 32 points in the 500 with Melpolder in third (4:42.26), and Andrew Mattson and Blake Blair taking the top two places in the consolation heat.
Mike Crinion added 14 points to the Britons total with a fifth-place finish in 1-meter diving. Completing his first year as a diver at any level, Crinion's 11-dive score was 302.40.
Friday events include the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 backstroke. The action begins at 10 a.m. with the preliminaries. See the MIAA Championships information page for the schedule and links to live results and video streaming.
