Canton, Ohio- As a whole, no swimming and diving program in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) has had as much success as the University of Findlay Oilers. The quest for championship trophies began on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at the G-MAC / Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championship meet which will be held through Feb. 17 at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.

Findlay's men, currently ranked eighth in Division II, have won six consecutive titles while the women, ranked thirteenth in the country, have won three and this year, are looking to defend their title.

The first day of competition went the way of the Orange and Black. On the men's side, Findlay dominated, taking control of the meet by scoring 535 points, more than 150 points clear of second-place Frostburg State. The women's scores are closer, but it is the Oilers who hold the lead with 505.5 points scored, 109 points ahead of three-time champion Hillsdale College.

Quote from Head Coach Diego Santos
"Extremely proud and impressed by how we raced, and how the day went. Started the week with great intensity and awesome swims. Really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week has in store for us. Keep an eye on us!"

Wednesday's Performances
Men

• Findlay won the men's 200 medley relay as Tim Stollings (Sr.), Luca Chiandussi (Sr.), Camilo Marrugo (Jr.), and Dags Bregis (Sr.) teamed up to touch in a NCAA provisional time of 1:25.94. Findlay's men have never lost this event at the conference meet, winning six straight from 2018-present.
• Sophomore Matteo Filippi, Findlay's record-holder in the event, won the title in the 1000 free with a school record with a NCAA B standard time of 9:19.52. This is the second consecutive title Filippi has earned in this event.
  • Junior Rafael Lozano took runner-up in the event with a time of 9:23.97.
• Sophomore Randy Keener earned the G-MAC title in the 200 IM winning with a NCAA B standard time of 1:49.80. 
  • Senior Adam Hornak finished second in the event with a time of 1:51.25.
• Junior Camilo Marrugo won the men's 50 free in a tight race, taking the crown with a time of 19.96, good enough for the NCAA B cut in the event. He edged out teammate senior Tim Stollings who has won the 50 free three times at the conference level and is a two-time all-American in the event. 
  • Stollings was a runner-up with a time of 20.17, also good for the NCAA B cut. 
• Marrugo, Bregis, Joe Kroeger (Jr.), and Zein Kawas (Jr.) flew in the 200 freestyle relay, winning the event by over three full seconds. They earned G-MAC Champion status with a time of 1:21.53.

Women

• In the 200 medley relay, Sasha Melnyk (Jr.), Katie Susi (So.), Sofia Lesmes Montes (Fr.), and Troie Grubbs (So.) won with a school record time of 1:42.05. The time is the eighth best in Division II this season while also meeting the NCAA provisional mark. Findlay's women have never lost this event at the conference meet, winning six straight from 2018-present.
• Defending her title was Emily Mears-Bentley who won the G-MAC crown in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:02.23, a school record and NCAA B cut. That time is good for tenth in the country this season. 
  • Sophomore Katie Susi finished runner-up with a 2:05.38.
• Swimming in the 50 free, Grubbs, who tied for first last season, won outright today with a NCAA B standard time of 23.50.
  • Junior Sydney Jones touched the wall shortly after with a time of 23.61, also a NCAA B cut.
• Grubbs, junior Macy May, Mears-Bentley, and Jones teamed up for the 200 free relay in which they finished the event in 1:34.44. 

Findlay will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 15. The prelims will be held in a morning session with finals to follow in the evening. All coverage of the event can be found on findlayoilers.com including the live stream on the Great Midwest Digital Network.