ERIE, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles men's swimming & diving team competed in their first dual meet of the season on Friday, falling 173-121 to Gannon. The Golden Knights won both relays on the night, but Clarion swimmers won four individual events to highlight their own efforts.
 
Connor Hoy logged a win in the 1000 Free, pacing the field with a time of 10:08.51. He He was tight with Gannon's Manny Cisneros for most of the race but pulled away midway through en route to the two-second win. He later secured a strong second-place finish in the 500 Free, posting a time of 4:52.34.
 
The Golden Eagles took the top two spots in the 200 Free, with Dominic Cortopassi winning the event with a time of 1:43.93. Jacob Rider was just a few seconds behind him, placing second with a time of 1:45.42. Cortopassi also won the 100 Free, finishing in a time of 46.77 that was a quarter-second ahead of Gannon's Nikita Poparcea. Rider, meanwhile, won the 200 Back with a time of 1:54.58, coming in nearly a full second ahead of Gannon's top competitor.
 
In the diving events, Zak Kennedy dominated in men's 1-meter Dive, securing first place with a score of 311.33. That represented his second NCAA qualifying score of the season, earning him a spot at the prequalification meet in March. Kennedy also took the top spot in the 3-meter Dive, earning a score of 273.30.