Oilers Off to Strong Start at G-MAC / MEC Championship
Canton, Ohio - The University of Findlay men's and women's swimming and diving team kicked off the 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference / Mountain East Conference Championship on Wednesday, Feb. 16 in the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio. Through one day of competition the Oilers men hold a strong lead with 515 points scored, nearly double Notre Dame College which sits in second place. Findlay's women are in a close second, just 54 points behind Hillsdale College which is looking to defend its crown from a season ago.
Men
Findlay's men's 200 medley relay team dominated on Wednesday, taking the title with a time of 1:27.48 which meets the NCAA provisional time in the event. The team of junior Tim Stollings, freshman Daniel Garcia, freshman Camilo Marrugo, and sophomore Dags Bregis now owns the pool and meet record as well as setting a new program and conference record in the event.
Garcia later claimed a conference title in the 200 IM, earning a B cut in the event with a time of 1:48.97. Right behind him was sophomore Adam Hornak who touched the wall in 1:50.79 and sophomore Marko Priednieks who clocked a 1:53.20, giving the Oilers the top three spots on the podium in the event.
Competing in the 50 free, Stollings, who is the meet record holder in the event, won his third consecutive title in the event with a B cut time of 20.11, barely beating out teammate Camilo Marrugo who finished runner-up with a 20.18, also a B cut in the event. Bregis took third with a 20.71 and freshman Angel Margaritov was fourth with a 20.81 as the Oilers dominance in the sprint was on full display.
That dominance spilled over to the highlight of the night, the 200 free relay. The quartet of Marrugo, Margaritov, Bregis, and Stollings blew away the field, completed the event in a time of 1:20.76, setting new meet, pool, conference, and school records in the process. That group completed the race nearly five seconds faster than the runner-up team from Notre Dame College.
Women
In the women's 200 medley relay, Findlay's team consisting of freshman Sasha Melnyk, senior Kristina Coleman, freshman Edith Somrah, and freshman Macy May took the title with a swim of 1:44.44.
May also hit the pool in the 50 yard freestyle where she was out-touched by three-tenths of a second to take runner-up, completing the race in a time of 24.19.
Melnyk, May, Coleman, and sophomore Gracie Glaser teammed up in the 200 free relay and finished with a 1:37.04, less than two seconds behind Hillsdale in the event, earning a runner-up finish.
Day two of the championship event will take place tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 17 with prelims beginning at 10 am. Coverage of the events can be found by following THIS LINK.