By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's swimming & diving team opened the 2024-25 season with a loss   to Division 2 Saint Michael's Saturday afternoon.

The Bears were defeated by the Purple Knights, 133-72, at the Dr. Mary Jo Moriarty Swimming Pool.

Sophomore Aaron Fowler (Brookline, Mass.)  won one event,placed second in another and was part of a winning relay team for BSU.

Fowler was first in the 50 butterfly in a time of 23.50 and took second in the 200 freestyle in 1:54.64.

The team of Fowler, junior Desmond Ng (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia), sophomore Jirat Saengthong (Watertown, Mass.) and senior Thomas Roch (Chelmsford, Mass.) took the 200 medley relay race in 1:39.00.

The other individual winner for the Bears was Saengthong, who prevailed in the 50 backstroke in a time of 27:03.

Saengthong took third in the 100 individual medley in 57.38.

Ng was second in the 100 IM in 55.63 and fourth in the 1,000 freestyle in his BSU debut.

Roch was second in the 100 freestyle in 52.19 and third in the 50 freestyle in 23.45.

Sophomore Drew Lawrence (Winchendon, Mass.) was third in the 50 backstroke in 27.71 and fourth in the 200 freestyle in 2:02.21.

Sophomore Nathan Barnes (Billerica, Mass.) was second behind Fowler in the 50 butterfly in 25.41 and fifth in the 50 backstroke in 29.90.

Senior Michael Losardo (Pittsfield, Mass.) took fourth in the 500 freestyle in 5:55.82 and fifth in the 1,000 freestyle.

In the 50 breaststroke, senior Owen Lasbury-Casey (Mansfield, Mass.) was third in 34.17 followed by senior Cameron Srebnick (Chelmsford, Mass.) in 34.48. Srebnick was also fifth in the 100 freestyle in 57.19.

Also providing points for the Bears were junior Oliver Taradash (Dartmouth, Mass.), who was fifth in the 50 freestyle in 25.28, and senior Cameron Stringfellow (Wrentham, Mass.), who was fifth in the 500 freestyle in 6:27.06.

BSU returns to action on Oct. 26 when it goes against Roger Williams in Rhode Island at 11 a.m.