Courtesy Atlantic 10

For the seventh time in eight seasons, the Massachusetts men’s swimming and diving teams are Atlantic 10 Champions.

The Minutemen finished with 791.5 points, thanks to two gold medals and three bronze medals.

Second place Saint Bonaventure was 224 points behind UMass, who never relinquished the lead. After day one of the meet, the Minutemen led by 31 points and kept moving further away from the opposition.

Senior captain R.J. Rappe was named Most Outstanding Diver for his efforts. Rappe’s score of 635.90 in the finals gave the Minutemen 20 points.

Along with Rappe, freshman Adam Duffield earned a place on the podium, taking third in the 1-meter dive. Freshman John Clark and sophomore Byron Johnson took fifth and seventh place in the event, earning 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Rappe and Johnson also scored points for UMass by going one-two in the 3-meter dive, totaling a combined 37 points.

UMass coach Russ Yarworth applauded diving coach Mandy Hixon for constructing one of the best men’s diving teams in the conference.

“Mandy did a great job of putting together a diving program,” Yarworth said. “Last year, we only had R.J., and this year all of the other kids placed in the top 10. It can only be attributed to Mandy’s hard work.”

In the 1,650-yard freestyle event, sophomore Justin Brooks won the gold medal for the second year in a row. Junior Brad Sloan padded UMass’s lead by winning bronze in the event. Brooks beat last year’s time by 10 seconds. Brooks blew past one of the top swimmers in the A-10, Fordham sophomore Ryan Coombs, who finished in fourth place.

Sloan moved up two places from last year’s results.

The 1,650 isn’t an event that occurs often, it usually only takes place in conference or invite meets.

Sophomore Andrew Willbrant swam to a third-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke. Behind Willbrant was freshman standout Max Butler, in fourth place. Their combined efforts earned another 31 points for the Minutemen. Since his 15th-place finish at A-10s last year, Willbrant has emerged as one of Yarworth’s best young stroke swimmers.

Willbrant also swam the lead leg for the third-place finishing UMass 200-yard medley relay team.

A fourth-place finish for Butler is nothing to look down upon. Butler is one of Yarworth’s most promising young swimmers and with senior captain Zack Priest leaving after this season, there will be an open spot that Butler could step into.

The butterfly and breaststroke were more successful swims for the Maroon and White.

In the 200-yard butterfly, Berthaume captured the second gold medal for the Minutemen with a time of one minute, 51 seconds. The gold brings a close to Berthaume’s turnaround season. He overcame shoulder injuries and with extensive training under Yarworth, is becoming a force in the 200 fly.

Redshirt senior Derek Castellana finished third behind Berthaume in the 200 fly.

“What a way to finish his career,” Yarworth said of Castellana. “He’s never been on the podium before, and what a superb way to do it.”

Sophomore Tim Smith finished seventh in the 200 fly, earning 12 points for the Minutemen.

Freshman Brian Schmidt finished fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke, trailing La Salle’s Chris Tiano by less than a second. Schmidt’s finish put 14 additional points on the board for UMass. Senior captain John Weaver finished 10th in the event, earning seven points.

Sophomore Juan Moliere earned the final individual medal for the Minutemen. Moliere took the bronze medal in the 100-yard freestyle. He worked particularly hard during the offseason to prepare for the A-10s and his work on his breathing played an important role in his gaining the bronze for UMass.

Moliere also swam the anchor leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which earned the bronze medal.

The Minutemen will compete next at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Association Championship meet next weekend in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Mike Gillmeister can be reached at [email protected].