Oilers Men and Women Lead Through Day 1 at G-MAC/MEC Swimming & Diving Championship
Results
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 Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the G-MAC / Mountain East Conference (MEC) Championship meet which will be held through Feb. 10 at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.
Findlay's men, currently ranked seventh in Division II, have won five consecutive titles while the women, ranked 19th in the country, have won two and this year, are looking to knock off Hillsdale which has won the past three.
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 515.5 points, more than 200 points clear of second-place Ashland. The women's scores are much closer, but it is the Oilers who hold the lead with 463 points scored, 46.5 points ahead of three-time defending champion, Hillsdale College.
Quote from Coach Makepeace
This team has been great all year at rising to the challenge and today was no different. We are off to a good start. I feel as though we scratched the surface of our potential tonight and will have lots of fuel moving to day two.
We have a great group of returners who led the charge and you can see the rest of the squad following their example. It's a long week and we are settling in for greatness. That fire will burn all night tonight so we don't have to reignite this heat in the morning!
Tuesday's All-G-MAC Performances
Women
- In the 200 medley relay, Sasha Melnyk (So.), Katie Susi (Fr.), Macy May (So.), and Sydney Jones (So.) won with a time of 1:44.77. Findlay's women have never lost this event at the conference meet, winning five straight from 2018-present.
- Continuing an impressive freshman campaign, Emily Mears-Bentley won the G-MAC crown in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:03.94, a school record, meet record, and NCAA B cut. That time is good for 14th in the country this season. She is just the second athlete to win this event at the conference level, joining Hanna Cederholm who won it three times (2018-20).
- Swimming in the 50 free, freshman Troie Grubbs was neck-and-neck with Hillsdale's Marie Taylor, last year's 50 free champion and the favorite going into the race. Grubbs and Taylor touched the wall in 23.93, hitting the NCAA B cut time on the number and tying for the G-MAC event crown. Findlay's women have not had a champion in this event since 2019 (Amanda Steigal).
- Melnyk, who earlier won the 200 medley relay, was third in the event, just barely breaking the 24-second mark with a 23.99.
- Emily Mears-Bentley was the leadoff in the 200 freestyle relay as the Oilers went on the take the title. Along with Mears-Bentley were Grubbs, Faith Marsicek (Fr.), and May who combined to complete the event in 1:34.75. Findlay has not won that event since 2020, taking down Hillsdale College which had won it in each of the previous two seasons.
Men
- Findlay won the men's 200 medley relay as Tim Stollings (Sr.), Luca Chiandussi (Jr.), Jaden Humphrey (So.), and Zein Kawas (So.) teamed up to touch in a time of 1:28.42. Findlay's men have never lost this event at the conference meet, winning five straight from 2018-present.
- Freshman Matteo Filippi, Findlay's record-holder in the event, won the title in the 1000 free with a school record, meet record, and NCAA B time of 9:19.23, the 12th fastest time in the country this season. He is the third 1000 free conference champion in program history joining Dags Bregis (2021) and Ben Rath (2018).
- Sophomore Rafael Lozano was runner-up in the event, earning second team all-G-MAC with a time of 9:35.01.
- Daniel Garcia (Jr.) earned the G-MAC title in the 200 IM in a tight race, winning with a time of 1:49.65, an NCAA B standard. That time led a trio of Oilers who earned all three all-conference spots in the event. Garcia has now won the 200 IM title at conference in three consecutive seasons.
- Bruce Keener II was a close runner-up, earning second-team all-G-MAC with a time of 1:50.47, an NCAA B cut, and junior Adam Hornak was third team all-G-MAC with a 1:51.48.
- Sophomore standout Camilo Marrugo won the men's 50 free, taking the G-MAC crown with a time of 19.87, good enough for the NCAA B cut in the event. He edged teammate Tim Stollings (Sr.) who has won the 50 free at the conference level three consecutive seasons and is a two-time all-American in the event.
- Stollings was the runner-up with a time of 20.13, also good for the NCAA B cut. Teammate Angel Margaritov made it a clean sweep for the all-conference awards, picking up third team all-G-MAC with a time of 20.87 and a third place finish.
- Marrugo, Chiandussi, Joe Kroeger (So.), and Stollings flew in the 200 freestyle relay, winning the event by almost five full seconds. They earned G-MAC Champion status with a time of 1:20.98.
Team Scores
Women
1. University of Findlay 463
2. Hillsdale College 416.5
3. Ashland University 265.5
4. Frostburg State University 221
5. Notre Dame College 184
6. Fairmont State University 149
7. Wheeling University 137
8. Davis & Elkins College 129
9. West Virginia Wesleyan College 83
10. Malone University 74
Men
1. University of Findlay 515.5
2. Ashland University 299
3. Frostburg State University 282.5
4. Notre Dame College 200
5. Fairmont State University 195
6. Davis & Elkins College 175
7. Malone University 140
8. West Virginia Wesleyan College 45
9. Wheeling University 18