MANSFIELD, MASS. – Southern Connecticut State University men's swimming & diving was tabbed to finish second in the 2020 Northeast 10 Conference Men's Swimming & Diving Coaches' Poll, as announced by the NE10 on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The Owls also received one first-place vote and were tabbed to finish behind Bentley – six first-place votes – in the upcoming Northeast 10 Conference Championship to be held on Feb. 6-9 at Worchester Polytechnic Institute Sports & Recreation Center in Worcester, Mass.

Southern finished second overall last season behind Bentley. Since the Owls entered the NE10 in 2003-04, they have won 13 of the 16 Championships, with Bentley winning the other three. Leo LaPorte capped off an incredible NE10 Championship with a pair of record-breaking performances for the weekend. After breaking the NE10 meet record in the 100 Yard Butterfly on Friday, Feb. 9, LaPorte broke the 200 Yard Butterfly mark with a national-qualifying time on the following day. 

Tahl Mitchell-Westbury also won the 3 Meter Diving event to give him a pair of championships after also winning the 1 Meter Diving event earlier in the weekend. He was honored as the NE10 Diver of the Meet. 

Tyler Castellone took the gold in the 100 Backstroke while the 200 Medley Relay team of Castellone, Drew Dantino, Leo Laporte and Greg Rodriguez also won the event championship.

This season, the Owls will look to a host of student-athletes to lead them again this season, with many ranked in the top 10 in each event in the NE10 ranks. For the year, Laporte owns Top 10 times in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free, 50 Back, 100 Breaststroke and 100 Butterfly as well as the top time this season in the 200 Butterfly among all NE10 competitors.

In addition, Bryce Castellone earned three NE10 Swimmer of the Week awards and ranks and has tallied top-five times in the 500 Freestyle, 1000 Freestyle, 1650 Free, 200 Breastroke, 200 Butterfly, 200 Individual Medley and 400 Individual Medley.

Chandler Tucker also ranks in the top 10 in several events including the NE10's top time to date in the 100 Backstroke, while also owning top-three times in he 200 Freestyle and 200 Backstroke. John Gaudio swam the fastest 500 Freestyle time in the NE10 at WPI on Nov. 9 and also owns a top 10 200 Backstroke mark. Evan Bombery, Bailey Peters, Timothy Kanaley, Patrick Keith and Matt Widlar also posted top 10 times this season.

The Owls will also look to Andrew Buehler to lead them in the diving events after capturing three NE10 Diver of the Week and three NE10 Rookie of the Week honors.