LANCASTER, Pa. -- Freshman RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) became the first Kutztown University men's swimmer to register a school record since the program's rebirth this season when he put down a 4:11.18 in the 400-yard individual medley to place fourth at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational on Saturday night.

Otten joined KU's top 10 list with the second-fastest time in program history during the morning prelims session with the fifth overall time (4:12.95). The Ballston Spa, N.Y., native bettered that number by more than 1.7 seconds in the A final to capture a team-best fourth-place finish and oust Morgan Wager's 2001 time of 4:12.05 from atop the program leaderboard. Both of Otten's 400 IM times were also PSAC cut times.

Classmate Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) qualified for the B Final in the 200 freestyle with the fifth-best time in KU history (1:44.36). Bair, who is already on the top 10 in the 50 free, went a bit faster in the finals but remained fifth with a 1:44.06. The B Final of the 200 free was a thriller with Bair and Frostburg State's Abe Bias getting to the wall in the exact same time to tie for the heat win and ninth overall.

Kutztown also got a program top 10 time from Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) in the 100 breaststroke. Miksa's PSAC cut time of 1:00.90 was good for sixth in program history. Otten added to his impressive day with a PSAC qualifying time of 55.28 in the 100 backstroke.

The Golden Bears remain 10th in the team standings and will wrap up the Franklin & Marshall Invitational on Sunday. Prelims are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., followed by finals at 5 p.m.
 

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FRANKLIN & MARSHALL INVITATIONAL
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2024
LANCASTER, PA. | McGINNESS POOL AT THE KUNKEL AQUATIC CENTER
 
KUTZTOWN RESULTS
All distances in yards

TEAM: 10th/10 (112.5 pts.)

PRELIMS
400 IM
5. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), 4:12.95, PSAC Qualifying, A Final Qualifier, 2nd all-time at KU
 
100 Butterfly
51. Gabriel Clauss (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), 55.15
 
200 Freestyle
9. Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), 1:44.36, PSAC Qualifying, B Final Qualifier, 5th all-time at KU
39. Nigel Pizzo (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), 1:52.04
45. Paul Spear (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), 1:56.89
 
100 Breaststroke
37. Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), 1:00.90, PSAC Qualifying, T-6th all-time at KU
 
100 Backstroke
27. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), 55.28, PSAC Qualifying
41. Nigel Pizzo (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), 59.24
44. Paul Spear (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), 1:01.63
 
800 Freestyle Relay
14. Kutztown 'A' (Bair, Otten, Pizzo, Spear), 7:31.75
 
FINALS
200 Medley Relay
22. Kutztown 'A' (Spear, Miksa, Clauss, Pizzo), 1:44.91
 
400 IM
4. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), 4:11.18, PSAC Qualifying, 1st all-time at KU
 
100 Butterfly
None
 
200 Freestyle
T9. Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), 1:44.06, PSAC Qualifying, 5th all-time at KU
 
100 Breaststroke
None
 
100 Backstroke
None
 
TIME TRIALS
100 Butterfly
2. Gabriel Clauss (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), 54.63