KENOSHA, Wis. – Albion College dove into action at the Carthage College Classic without two reliable point scorers, but first-year student-athlete Nate Kozycki proved to be ready for the challenge.
The newcomer from Grand Rapids won two individual events and swam on both first place relays to headline a memorable evening.
"We're learning about the type of competitor he is," Albion head coach Jake Taber said. "His butterfly split (21.81 seconds) in the medley relay may have been the second-best in school history. It is an example where we have more depth than we initially realized."
Parker Belmore and Lucas Harder kept Albion in a close race with Carthage in the medley relay until Kozycki put the Britons in the lead. Derek Bosko churned a 20.51 freestyle split as the Britons completed the relay in 1:33.97.
Bosko turned in a scintillating 45.18 split as the 400 free relay team shaved nearly three seconds off its season-best time in finishing in 3:07.54. Belmore, Kozycki and Tom Parsons preceded Bosko's leg.
Individually, Kozycki swam to first place in the 100-yard individual medley (52.40 seconds) and the 200 butterfly (1:53.73). The 100 IM turned into a scoring haul for Albion with Belmore second to the wall (54.28) and Harder coming in fifth (56.56).
Bosko brought home Albion's other first place finish in an individual event when he completed the 50 freestyle in 21.24 seconds. He also turned-in a runner-up finish in the 200 free (1:46.95).
Belmore was also part of a scoring haul in the 100 back, finished third (53.34) before Parsons came in fifth (53.92) and Nick Burris in eighth (56.50).
Also scoring in championship races Friday night were Blake Blair with a third-place finish in the 500 freestyle (4:54.73), Harder with a fourth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.49), and Kyle Harvey with a sixth-place finishes in the 400 IM (4:21.92) and 500 freestyle (5:01.50).
Albion produced some of the top talent in 1-meter diving with Jake Burris winning the event, Henry Swett finishing second and Jake Maurer finishing sixth.
Saturday events include the 200 IM, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 100 butterfly and 1,650 freestyle.
