CHESNUT HILL, MASS. 11/2/08 - The Keene State men's swim team gave Boston College a battle, before falling 146-139 in a dual meet held at the Flynn Recreation Complex on Sunday.

The Owls were competing against the Eagles, a non-scholarship Division I program, for the first time since 2004. 

"It s great opportunity for us to compete against a Division I program," said KSC Coach Jack Fabian.  "The biggest difference is their depth.  They have four swimmers for every one of our athletes."

KSC had the better of the Eagles on the board. The trio of sophomore Tim Thornton (Fairfield, Conn.), and freshmen Patrick Rogers (Wayland, Mass.) and Derek Peabody (Haverhill, Mass.) finished 1-2-3 in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events.  Thornton won the one-meter with 222.70 points and the three-meter with 203.95 points.

Junior captain Domingo Rose (Nashua, N.H.) broke meet record in the 200 breast with a time of of 2:19.64.

In other meet highlights, sophomore Dan Theleen (Southbury, Conn.) took second in the 500 free (5:00.27) and the 1,000 free (10:16.16).  Freshman Colin Daly (Cromwell, Conn.) was third in the 100 back (56.76), sophomore Dan Morse (Hope, R.I.) placed fourth in the 1,000 free (10:29. 23) and fifth in the 500 free (5:09.21).

Sophomore Karl Balinski (Waterford, Conn.) also turned in several strong performances, finishing third in the 50 free (23.26), and fourth in the 100 free (50.93) and 200 free (1:52.90).

Keene State men and women compete against WPI next Saturday.