Swimming and Diving 2/17/2024 10:53:00 PM

Swimming Supremacy | Oilers Men and Women Bring Home G-MAC Titles

Findlay's men won their seventh consecutive title while the women won their fourth in seven years

2024 G-MAC Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Champions | Photo Andy Smith

Complete G-MAC / MEC Championship Results

Canton, Ohio – It's been a long run of dominance for the men's and women's swimming and diving teams at the University of Findlay and, on Saturday, Feb. 17, that run continued.
For the second consecutive season and fourth time since 2017, the men's and women's swimming and diving teams from UF can both call themselves champions of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).
Competition at the G-MAC / MEC (Mountain East Conference) Swimming and Diving Championships wrapped up on Saturday at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio. It was a long four days in the pool and the Oilers put on a show, proving to all in attendance that there was one school in that building that stood alone.

In total, there were 42 events at the championship that handed out championship medals, 21 on both the men's and women's side. Findlay, which did not have a diver participate in any of the four diving events, did have participants in all 38 swimming events. Of those 38 events in which the Oilers competed, the Orange and Black came home with titles in 35 of them. The men had winners in all 19 swimming events while the women had winners in 16 of 19 swimming events.

Domination.

For the men, who are ranked eighth in the country in the latest College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of American (CSCAA) poll, it is their seventh consecutive G-MAC Championship, winning every title since joining the conference in the 2017-18 season. That streak is the longest streak of conference championships by any school in any sport in Great Midwest history. It is a historic run that has taken championship effort from hundreds of athletes spanning nearly a decade.

Findlay's women, in the meantime, have re-cemented themselves as the class of the conference in the sport of swimming and diving. Currently ranked 13^th in the country by the CSCAA, the Oilers women bring home their second consecutive title and fourth in seven years. After finishing runner-up to Hillsdale College three times, 2020-2022, there is now no question who carries the torch in the sport as the Orange and Black have returned to supremacy in the pool.

Quote from Coach Diego Santos
After a long, but most certainly fun, year, the hard work and sacrifice that the team has made finally paid off. We always knew what we were capable of but also knew it wouldn't come easily. We have an amazing team that has become a family, and with each other's supper and encouragement, we made it happen again this year.
We will enjoy this victory for now, but Monday morning we are back to the grind as we gear up for nationals. We aren't done yet.

Quote from senior Tim Stollings
This week is proof that success takes a village. Every single person on our team did their part as an athlete and as a support system and it showed on night four as the men and women are crowned G-MAC Swimming and Diving Champions! I'm so proud of this team and it is an honor to be an Oiler by their side.

Quote from sophomore Emily Mears-Bentley
I am so happy for my results this week but even happier for how we competed as a team. I can't wait to see what we can achieve next at nationals. I'm proud to be an Oiler!

Along with the two team titles and 35 individual titles, the Oilers are coming home with more hardware.

Men's Coach of the Year – Diego Santos
Women's Coach of the Year – Diego Santos
Men's Swimmer of the Meet – Tim Stollings
Women's Co-Swimmer of the Meet – Katie Susi
Men's Elite 26 Winner – Randy Keener
Women's Elite 26 Winner – Mille Berg

Saturday's Top Performances
Men

Repeating as the conference champion in the 1650 free was sophomore Matteo Filippi who won the event with a personal best time of 15:32.43. That time is good for an NCAA B Cut and also sets both meet and school records in the process.
Dags Bregis did not win a G-MAC title last year as an individual but this year, brought home four, wrapping up his week with a win in the 100 free. His time of 45.27 was good for first while teammate Santiago Arteaga was runner-up with a 45.38.
In the men's 200 backstroke, sophomore Randy Keener was a winner, meeting a D2 B standard with a time of 1:47.10.
- Tyler Thomas was third in the event with a personal best time of 1:52.57.
Senior Marko Priednieks won in the 200 breaststroke, meeting the NCAA B Cut with a 1:59.86 and setting a season-best in the process.
- Luca Chiandussi was runner-up with a 2:01.91.
In the 400 free relay, junior Camilo Marrugo, Santiago Arteaga, Tim Stollings, and Evan Patterson took gold with a 3:01.29

Women

Sophomore Troie Grubbs earned her first 100 free title of her career, winning that event with a time of 51.68. That is good for an NCAA B Cut and a personal best.
- Also meeting the NCAA B in that race was Sydney Jones who set a personal best with a time of 51.86. Sofia Lesmes Montes took third with a 52.27 while Macy May was fourth with a 52.32.
Junior Sasha Melnyk, an all-American last season, brought home the title in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:04.20, narrowly defeating teammate Mille Berg who was runner-up with a 2:04.25.
- Macee Reckard was third in the event with a personal best time of 2:05.26.
In the 200 breaststroke, sophomore Katie Susi dominated, winning the race by almost five seconds. She touched the wall in 2:18.98 to earn her second consecutive conference title in the event.
The 400 freestyle relay title stays in Findlay as sophomore Emily Mears-Bentley, Grubbs, Lesmes Montes, and Jones teamed up with take the crown with a time of 3:25.37. That time was good for a new school record in the event.
Finishing runner-up in the 1650 freestyle is junior Abbie Kmet. A G-MAC Champion in the 200 free earlier in the week, Kmet finished with a time of 17:30.57 which is a new career-best.