Courtesy Williams Sports Information

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College men's swimming and diving team won six of eight events in the pool Friday to build a commanding lead after the first day of the 2006 NESCAC Swimming & Diving Championships held at the Robert Muir and Carl Samuelson Pool.

The Ephs broke two school records — the 200 free relay and first-year Norman Scott in the 50 butterfly — en route to 760.5 first-day points. Tufts University was second with 572 points and Amherst third with 498 points.

Williams junior Setphen Spinelli successfully defended his NESCAC title in the 500 free (4:33.87), as did Amherst senior Rick Estacio in the 50 backstroke (23.55) and Hamilton College senior Mike Salmon in the 1-meter diving (501.25). Estacio set a NESCAC meet and pool record of 23.53 in his preliminary win Friday morning. It was the third year in a row Salmon won the 1-meter diving.

Williams senior Will Cunningham defended his title in the 200 IM (1:51.75) as well.

Williams also defended its titles in the 200 free relay as the quartet of Brad Brecher, Nick Gallucci. Zack Orjuela and Blake Albohm set a meet and school record with a time of 1:23.34. The night ended with another Ephs victory, this one from the 400 medley relay of Will Cunningham, Scott, Henry Felker and Orjuela who won with a time of 3:24.64.

Amherst's John Ancona won the 50 breaststroke in 27.08. Other winners on the night included Scott of Williams with a school record 22.84 seconds in the 50 fly and Albohm of Williams in the 50 free (21.11).

Tufts had three second-place finishes. Grego Bettencourt was the runner-up in the 500 free (4:36.11) and senior Brett Baker (21.43) and junior Michael Kinsella (21.45) placed second and third respectively in the 50 free.

In addition, the Jumbos 200 free relay of Kinsella, Jason Kapit, Andrew Shields and Baker placed second in 1:23.51.

Complete results can be found at www.pjmm.net/results.html throughout the weekend.