SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- Freshman Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) won the 100-yard freestyle and secured a spot on Kutztown's top 10 in the 50-yard freestyle while setting PSAC qualifying times in both events at Shippensburg on Wednesday night. The Golden Bear men's swim team, which returned to varsity status after a 15-year break, fell to the host Raiders 129-74.

After competing in the opening 200 medley relay, Bair went to work in the sprint freestyle events. He missed out on a victory in the 50 free against Shippensburg's Robbie Ferlick by just a tenth of a second (21.72) but qualified for the PSAC Championships and set the seventh-fastest time in KU history with his runner-up time of 21.85.

In the very next event, the 100 free, Bair, an Orwigsburg, Pa., native, got his coveted win by 1.4 seconds over the Raiders' Connor Ludwig in a PSAC cut time of 48.44.

The Golden Bears (0-1, 0-1 PSAC) knew the cards were stacked against them facing a Shippensburg team double their size.

Kutztown competed hard throughout the evening, getting a win from Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.72) and runner-up finishes from Paul Spear (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) in the 1000 free (11:38.69) and 500 free (5:38.17) and Bair in the 50 free. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) posted the second-fastest time in the 200 IM with a 2:05.50.
 

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MEN'S SWIMMING
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2024
KUTZTOWN AT SHIPPENSBURG
 
SHIPPENSBURG 129, KUTZTOWN 74
 
200 Yard Medley Relay
3. Kutztown 'A' (RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), Gabriel Clauss (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain)), 1:40.29
 
1000 Yard Freestyle
2. Paul Spear (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), 11:38.69
 
200 Yard Freestyle
4. Nigel Pizzo (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), 1:57.90
 
50 Yard Backstroke
None
 
50 Yard Breaststroke
3. Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), 28.85
 
100 Yard Butterfly
3. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), 55.08
4. Gabriel Clauss (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), 56.09
 
50 Yard Freestyle
2. Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), 21.85, PSAC Qualifying, 7th all-time at KU
4. Nigel Pizzo (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), 23.56
 
100 Yard Freestyle
1. Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), 48.44, PSAC Qualifying
5. Nigel Pizzo (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), 52.43
6. Gabriel Clauss (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), 53.23
 
100 Yard Backstroke
None
 
100 Yard Breaststroke
1. Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), 1:02.72
 
500 Yard Freestyle
2. Paul Spear (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), 5:38.17
 
50 Yard Butterfly
1. Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), 24.39 – 3rd
2. Gabriel Clauss (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), 25.30 – 4th
3. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), 25.32 – 5th
 
200 Yard IM
1. RJ Otten (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), 2:05.50 – 2nd
2. Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), 2:09.35 – 3rd
 
200 Yard Freestyle Relay
Kutztown 'A' (Matheson Bair (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain), Nigel Pizzo (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), Paul Spear (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), Theo Miksa (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East)), x1:33.75