LEXINGTON, Ky. – Multiple individual victories by a trio of Texas A&M underclassmen boosted the Aggie men's swimming and diving team to a 155-145 season-opening victory over Kentucky on Wednesday at the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
"It was a lot of fun," A&M men's head Jay Holmes said. "It was really a great college dual meet and a great way to get the season started. Both teams were aggressive and you could tell by the way they completed that it meant a lot to them."
Sophomores Brock Bonetti and Mauro Castillo both swept the 100- and 200-yard versions of their specialties – the backstroke and breaststroke, respectively – and swam a leg on the winning 200-yard medley relay, while freshman diver Sam Thornton was victorious in both springboard dives to spark the Aggies.
"For us to win this meet, we thought we had to win the backstrokes and breaststrokes, and Brock and Mauro did a great job of getting to the wall first in those races," Holmes said.
Bonetti won the 100 backstroke in 48.87 and the 200 backstroke in 1:47.10, while Castillo won the 100 breast in 55.64 and the 200 breast in 2:00.11. Bonetti and Castillo set the school record in the 200-yard version of their specialties last year as freshmen. The Aggies opened the meet by tying for the victory in the 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of Bonetti (back), Castillo (breast), freshman Connor Long (butterfly) and junior Jacob Gonzales (freestyle) matching Kentucky's time of 1:31.08.
Thornton, in his first action in the maroon and white, swept the dives with a 383.55 point total on the one-meter board and a 382.20 on the three-meter.
"Sam was everything that Coach (Jay) Lerew said he was going to be," Holmes said. "He was calm and cool, and he went out and did everything we asked of him."
The Aggies had a second tie for first place when Jacob Gonzales matched Kentucky with a time of 20.63 in the 50-yard free. Logging the Aggies final win of the day was freshman Mateo Gonzalez, who was victorious in the 200 IM in a time of 1:51.32.
The Aggies return to action on Friday, Oct. 30 with a 6 p.m. dual meet against Incarnate Word at the Student Recreation Natatorium on the A&M campus.
"It was a lot of fun," A&M men's head Jay Holmes said. "It was really a great college dual meet and a great way to get the season started. Both teams were aggressive and you could tell by the way they completed that it meant a lot to them."
Sophomores Brock Bonetti and Mauro Castillo both swept the 100- and 200-yard versions of their specialties – the backstroke and breaststroke, respectively – and swam a leg on the winning 200-yard medley relay, while freshman diver Sam Thornton was victorious in both springboard dives to spark the Aggies.
"For us to win this meet, we thought we had to win the backstrokes and breaststrokes, and Brock and Mauro did a great job of getting to the wall first in those races," Holmes said.
Bonetti won the 100 backstroke in 48.87 and the 200 backstroke in 1:47.10, while Castillo won the 100 breast in 55.64 and the 200 breast in 2:00.11. Bonetti and Castillo set the school record in the 200-yard version of their specialties last year as freshmen. The Aggies opened the meet by tying for the victory in the 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of Bonetti (back), Castillo (breast), freshman Connor Long (butterfly) and junior Jacob Gonzales (freestyle) matching Kentucky's time of 1:31.08.
Thornton, in his first action in the maroon and white, swept the dives with a 383.55 point total on the one-meter board and a 382.20 on the three-meter.
"Sam was everything that Coach (Jay) Lerew said he was going to be," Holmes said. "He was calm and cool, and he went out and did everything we asked of him."
The Aggies had a second tie for first place when Jacob Gonzales matched Kentucky with a time of 20.63 in the 50-yard free. Logging the Aggies final win of the day was freshman Mateo Gonzalez, who was victorious in the 200 IM in a time of 1:51.32.
The Aggies return to action on Friday, Oct. 30 with a 6 p.m. dual meet against Incarnate Word at the Student Recreation Natatorium on the A&M campus.