PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Junior Voyta Karas (Brno, Czech Republic) broke the 50 free school record, while the 200 free relay team also established a new top time, as the William Paterson men' swimming and diving team completed the first day of competition at the Metropolitan Championships Feb. 20.

Karas placed second overall, and was the top Division III finisher, in the 50 free A Final with a time of 20.69. That time, one that exceeded the NCAA Division III Championships B qualifying standard, bettered 1985 national champion Joe Gentile's school record of 20.78 set during the 1984-85 season.

The 200 free relay team of Karas, junior Kirk Smith (West Orange, N.J./West Orange), senior David Caputo (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) and sophomore Evan Seftel (Montville, N.J./Montville) placed fourth in the A Final with a time of 1:26.78, breaking the record of 1:27.90 set by Brian Lavin, Todd Trotman, Chris Bloch and Drew Blake during the 1987-88 season. 

Senior Michael O'Shea (Edgewater, N.J./Leonia) exceeded the NCAA Championships qualifying standard with his 411.20 score in the one-meter dive, finishing fifth. Sophomore Andrew Scimeca (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) was 11th in the preliminaries (260.40), and freshman Alex MacArthur (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia) was 12th (243.95).

Caputo touched eighth in the 500 free B Final (4:51.31), and the 400 medley relay team of junior Stefan Rosales (Rahway, N.J./St. Joseph's-Metuchen), Smith, sophomore Jeremy Lim (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) and Seftel was fourth in the B Final (3:44.52).

The Pioneers will compete in Day Two of the Metropolitan Championships on Saturday, Feb. 21.