GREAT MIDWEST/MOUNTAIN EAST (GMAC/MEC) – MEN AND WOMEN
- Dates: Wednesday-Saturday, February 12-15th
- Location: C.T. Branin Natatorium Canton, Ohio
- Defending Champions: Findlay men (2x); Findlay women (2x)
- Championship Central
Courtesy: Great Midwest Sports
MEN
CANTON, Ohio – Findlay extended its lead and remains in command as the third day of the combined Great Midwest/Mountain East Swimming & Diving Championships played out on Friday at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.
The Oilers had a hand in two of the three new championship meet records that were broken, including the 100 backstroke by freshman phenom Tim Stollings and senior Isaac Stretch in the 100 breaststroke.
Stollings stole the show once again, breaking the overall and meet record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 48.53. He had previously been the record holder based off his performance at the Calvin Winter Invitational.
Stollings initially broke the standard during the morning prelims before notching his fifth event win. Only two different swimmers have recorded six wins in the combined conference championship meet format – UF’s Janko Radmanovic and Ben Rath; Rath is currently on the Oilers’ coaching staff.
Stretch was very close to breaking his own conference record in the 100 breaststroke while setting the meet record with a time of 55.64 in the finals. It was his third meet record this week following relay records in the 200 freestyle and 400 medley.
Findlay has over 1,100 points in the team scoring while Tiffin is second with 832 points. Host Malone is third as the Great Midwest sits 1-2-3 going into Saturday. The Oilers are closing in on their third consecutive team title with 10 men’s programs in the mix this year.
Tiffin’s Miguel Angel Garcia Arroyo secured his third individual event win in the 200 butterfly. He also helped the Dragons nearly break the 800 freestyle record, a time that now ranks second all-time among Great Midwest/Mountain East programs.
Arroyo has also captured titles in the 200 IM and had a meet record in the 400 IM.
A total of nine championship meet records have been broken so far by this year’s field of talented men’s student-athletes.
WOMEN
CANTON, Ohio – Hillsdale extended its lead and remains in command as the third day of the combined Great Midwest/Mountain East Swimming & Diving Championships played out on Friday at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.
The Chargers have been pacing the 13-team standings each day of the competition and added two more program victories in the 500 freestyle and the 800 freestyle relay.
Hillsdale’s point total has swelled to 1,294 team points. The Chargers have really flexed their muscle by showcasing team depth, qualifying as many as five swimmers in the finals guaranteed to score.
And Hillsdale has done it with a combination of youth and experience through the individual events and relays as the program is poised to finish strong on Saturday under 2018-19 Coach of the Year Kurt Kirner.
Freshman Leah Tunney made her mark in conference history with a new overall and meet record in the 500 freestyle. The top five placewinners in this event were all freshmen and Tunny clocked a 5:02.34, about seven seconds of improvement from her morning prelim try.
Tunney was a big part of Hillsdale’s 800 freestyle relay victory as the Chargers recorded the second fastest time in combined conference history. Danielle Snell, Thursday’s 400 IM champ, was also part of the group along with senior Katherine Heeres and sophomore Madeline Breay.
The Chargers lead by almost 130 points against Findlay as two more meet records were set by the Oilers on Friday courtesy of senior Hanna Cederholm and sophomore Chris McFarland.
Cederholm’s notable feat was accomplished in the 100 breaststroke, an event she has qualified for nationals. Her fifth event win of the meet resulted in a new overall and championship record that surpassed Hillsdale’s former All-American Anika Ellingson.
McFarland finished the 100 backstroke in 55.74, the fifth fastest time in conference history and she bested former Oiler Kathryn Samuelson’s time trial in 2018 for the new meet record.
Senior Katy Kouvaris beat the pack in the 200 butterfly for her third win of the meet so far. She also aided 400 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay wins.
Findlay will need to complete a comeback on Saturday to make a final run at its third consecutive conference championship team title. The Oilers currently have 1,164.5 points while meet host Malone is in third with over 600 points.
A total of five championship meet records have been broken so far by this year’s field of talented women’s student-athletes.