MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Competing in their second straight two-day invitational in two weeks against top competition, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's and women's swim teams both captured fourth place at the Connecticut Cup, which concluded Saturday evening at Wesleyan University's  Webster Family Natatorium.

The Eastern men compiled 597.5 points, less than 100 behind third-place and host Wesleyan University (688), while the women recorded 531 points, trailing third-place Trinity College (824.5). Williams College won both the men's and women's competition by comfortable margins.

The Eastern women were led by four first-year competitors, all true freshmen: Ashley Carvente (Norwalk), Jai-Lynn Wheeler (Stonington), Rachel Mathews (West Hartford) and Julia Ames (Pawtucket, RI). Twenty individuals competed for the women, with 15 picking up points. In individual events, Carvente recorded 53 points, Jai-Lynn Wheeler and Mathews 40 and Ames 35. Wheeler had the highest finish for the women, placing a remarkable third (behind two Williams competitors) among 40 swimmers in the 100 freestyle in a time of 54.10, less than a half-second off the 14-year-old program record.

In the 1,650 freestyle, Mathews was fourth (19:16.56) and Carvente fifth (19:33.08) and Carvente was seventh (5:00.70)  in the 400 individual medley.

For the men, 19 members of the team scored points, led by juniors Boden Tito (Southington) and Ryan Jezek (Avon), first-year true freshman Spencer Bagtaz (Wilmington, MA) and juniors Eric Quiterio (Windsor) and Samuel Ainscough (Mystic). Tito (42 points) and Jezek (40) topped the list, with Bagtaz compiling 37 points, Quiterio 32 and Ainscough 30.

Tito was  fifth in the 200 butterfly (1:58.58) -- a half-second out of fourth -- Jezek eighth in the 50 freestyle (22.17) -- a quarter-second shy of seventh -- and Bagtaz eighth in the 200 backstroke -- less than a half-second behind seventh place.

 The Warriors do not participate in formal competition again for over a month when they close the regular season with dual meets at Keene State College (Jan. 9) and at University of Saint Joseph (Jan. 17) before hosting Norwich University on Senior Day Jan. 24 at noon at the Sports Center Pool.

Eastern closes the season at the Little East Conference Championships Feb. 13-15 at the Boston Sports Institute.

Keene won last year's Little East women's title, unseating Eastern, which placed third. The Eastern men posted their first LEC title a year ago, with Keene finishing fifth.

In dual meet competition last January, the Eastern men downed Keene State, 178-83 while the Keene women trimmed the Eastern women, 144-118, for their 22^nd dual-meet win over Eastern without a loss. The Eastern women are 42-2 all-time in dual meet competition with Saint Joseph.
 
Neither the Eastern men nor women have swam a dual meet against Norwich. The Norwich men and women both won last year's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title, the men in a field of three teams and the women in a field of seven. The Norwich men and women competed  in the ECAC Open Championships last year at the U.S. Naval Academy, the women placing last in a field of 22 teams and the men placing 14^th among 22 teams.