Schulte, Curtin win gold on day three of MAACs

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomores Ben Schulte (Tumon, Guam) and Colin Curtin (Wethersfield, Conn.) won gold medals and the Bryant University men's swimming and diving team set four school records on the third day of the MAAC Championships at Erie Community College.

The Bulldogs remain in third place with 353 points, trailing first-place Rider (625 pts.) and second place Marist (395.5 pts.).

Schulte and Curtin dominated their individual events on Friday, setting school records in both of their events. Schulte defended his gold medal in the 100 breast, posting a winning time of 54.33. He was even better in the prelims, posting an NCAA "B" cut time of 54.13. It is the second-straight year he has accomplished that feat.

Curtin won the first gold medal of his career in the 100 back on Friday, posting a school-record time of 49.88. He broke the record by nearly two seconds.

Bryant also received school-record performances from freshman Charlie Broe (New Windsor, N.Y.) in the 1000 free and the 400 medley relay. Broe finished fifth, posting a school-record time of 9:33.52. The time is 18 seconds faster than the previous record set in 2013. In the 400 medley relay, Curtin, Schulte, Benon Boyadjian (Middlebury, Conn.) and Zachary Hannon (Marlborough, Conn.) won a silver medal with a school-record time of 3:18.24.

Several other members of the Black and Gold recorded finals appearances on Friday. Freshman Oliver French (Nashua, N.H.) finished eighth with a time of 9:40.85 and Damian Parzych (Farmington, Conn.) finished 13th in the 1000 free. Shane Vyskocil (Parsippany, N.J.) finished seventh (4:07.88) and Robert Beauchemin (Holliston, Mass.) finished 15th (4:17.30) in the 400 IM, while Boyadjian set a school record with a time of 50.05 in the 100 fly.

Freshman Tavish Boyle (Springfield, N.J.) picked up a bronze medal in the 100 breast, finishing third behind Schulte with a time of 56.03. Joshua Bjornberg (Wallingford, Conn.) finished seventh in the event and Boyadjian also added a seventh-place finish in the 100 back.

The final day of the championships will unfold at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday with the prelims of the 200 back.