By Brett Williams
On day three of the 2014 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships at the Busbey Natatorium, finals competition took place in the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, men’s 1-meter diving and the 800 freestyle relay. Day three was much like the previous two; full of exciting races and record-breaking performances.
Oakland leads both the men’s and women’s championships going into the last day of competition. Milwaukee, the women's defending champion, is within eight points of Oakland going into Friday.
Action in the pool started with Oakland’s Patricia Aschan winning the women’s 400 individual medley with a time of 4:19.47. Trailing behind in second was teammate Emily Ludema with UIC’s Veronica Gibson coming in third.
In the men’s 400 individual medley the first Horizon League all-time and Championship record was broken on the night with a 3:48.51 performance from Oakland’s Jorden Merrilees. Merrilees’ time was also a NCAA Division I B-cut. The previous record of 3:52.07 was set in 2009 by Wright State’s Nathan Demchuk.
Willem Poelmans posted a NCAA Division I B-cut with his time of 3:52.35 to place second for Green Bay. Nic Halverson of Milwaukee finished third while Cleveland State’s Gage Alleman came in at fourth.
In the third-straight event, an Oakland swimmer placed at the top of the podium. In the women’s 100 butterfly, Julia Vela won with a time of 55.34. UIC’s Danel Voorhees and Melanie Waszak took second and third respectively.
Alex Lewis broke his second Horizon League all-time and Championship record of the meet with his 100 butterfly finish of 47.08. The Cleveland State senior’s time was a NCAA Division I B-cut. Steve Yemm of UIC posted the previous record of 47.65 in 2010.
The next three finishers also posted NCAA Division I B-cut times comprising of Oakland’s Mario Rusnak (48.09), Milwaukee’s Mike Lucchesi (48.19) and Oakland’s Tuomas Kiviluoma (48.25).
Milwaukee’s Diana Diel led the pack in the women’s 200 freestyle finishing with a time of 1:49.25. Rowan Elbadry of Cleveland State placed second with a time of 1:50.06 and Oakland’s Nikki Flynn took third.
The men’s 200 freestyle stayed close finishing with Oakland’s Zach Johnson (1:39.22) out-touching the Viking’s Adam Ingledew (1:39.52). Matyas Keresztes of Oakland placed third with UIC’s Bentley Demuth right behind in fourth.
Last year’s event champion Emily McClellan of Milwaukee dominated the women’s 100 breaststroke breaking her own Horizon League all-time and Championship record with a NCAA Division I A-cut time of 58.44. Her previous League all-time record of 58.76 was recorded earlier this season.
Oakland freshman Takara Martin placed second with a B-cut time of 1:02.18 and teammate Melissa VanderMeulen took third place.
Green Bay’s Ryan Korslin finished the 100 breaststroke in first place recording a NCAA Division I B-cut time of 53.52. The trio of Cleveland State’s Nathan Grant (54.33), Wright State’s Clement Quilliec (54.98) and Oakland’s Hrafn Traustason (55.27) also posted B-cut times.
Karin Tomeckova of Oakland tied the Horizon League Championship record finishing in front of the competition with a NCAA Division I B-cut time of 54.40. She currently holds the League’s all-time record after posting a time of 53.66 earlier this season.
Last year’s champion and Championship co-record holder, Ashley Dow of Youngstown State, came in second place with a time of 55.12. Milwaukee’s Becky Yokosh followed in third with teammate Kristin Zablocki in fourth.
Oakland senior Grant Harding took home the 100 backstroke championship breaking the Horizon League all-time and Championship record with a NCAA Division I B-cut time of 47.63. Wright State’s Justin Thornton has held the previous record of 48.03 since 1999.
Teammate Aleksander Danielewski (48.43) recorded a B-cut as well to place second and Cleveland State’s Al Shillito came in third.
Danny Roberts of Cleveland State came out at the top of the podium after six impressive dives to accumulate 333.20 points. K.J. Heger of Milwaukee finished close in second place with a score of 331.30. The Vikings also took third with Stephen Schillero recording 317.35 points.
The women’s 800 freestyle relay remained close throughout the first three legs of the race until Milwaukee’s McClellan pulled away for the Panthers to capture the victory. The team of Natalie Johnson, Anna Yontz, Diana Diel and McClellan broke the Horizon League all-time and Championship record with their time of 7:21.28. The previous record of 7:23.81 was set by UIC in 2013.
Green Bay finished strong to take second place while Oakland placed third, Cleveland State took fourth, UIC was fifth, Youngstown State came in sixth, Wright State was seventh and Valparaiso closed out the pack in eighth.
To round out day three of finals action, Oakland won the men’s 800 freestyle relay in record-breaking fashion finishing with a new Horizon League all-time and Championship record of 6:32.35. The winning team comprised of Amr el Sayed, Tuomas Kiviluoma, Zach Johnson and Jorden Merrilees. Wright State swam the previous record time of 6:34.51 in 2012.
Milwaukee took second place in the relay with Green Bay behind in third, Cleveland State taking fourth, UIC in fifth, Wright State in sixth and Valparaiso finishing seventh.
2014 Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships—Day Three Results
Women’s 400 Individual Medley: Patricia Aschan, Oakland—4:19.47
Men’s 400 Individual Medley: Jorden Merrilees, Oakland—3:48.51
*NCAA Division I B-Cut Time
**Horizon League All-Time and Championship Record
Women’s 100 Butterfly: Julia Vela, Oakland—55.34
Men’s 100 Butterfly: Alex Lewis, Cleveland State—47.08
*NCAA Division I B-Cut Time
**Horizon League All-Time and Championship Record
Women’s 200 Freestyle: Diana Diel, Milwaukee—1:49.25
Men’s 200 Freestyle: Zach Johnson, Oakland—1:39.22
Women’s 100 Breaststroke: Emily McClellan, Milwaukee—58.44
*NCAA Division I A-Cut Time
**Horizon League All-Time and Championship Record
Men’s 100 Breaststroke: Ryan Korslin, Green Bay—53.52
*NCAA Division I B-Cut Time
Women’s 100 Backstroke: Karin Tomeckova, Oakland—54.40
*NCAA Division I B-Cut Time
**Tied the Horizon League Championship Record
Men’s 100 Backstroke: Grant Harding, Oakland—47.63
*NCAA Division I B-Cut Time
**Horizon League All-Time and Championship Record
Men’s 1-Meter Diving: Danny Roberts, Cleveland State—333.20 points
Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay: Milwaukee (Johnson, Yontz, Diel, McClellan)—7:21.28
**Horizon League All-Time and Championship Record
Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay: Oakland (el Sayed, Kiviluoma, Johnson, Merrilees)—6:32.35
**Horizon League All-Time and Championship Record
Women’s Standings After Day Three
1. Oakland, 524 points
2. Milwaukee, 516 points
3. Green Bay, 363 points
4. Cleveland State, 319 points
5. UIC, 300 points
6. Youngstown State, 198 points
7. Wright State, 178 points
8. Valparaiso, 96 points
Men’s Standings After Day Three
1. Oakland, 574 points
2. Cleveland State, 466 points
3. UIC, 376.5 points
4. Milwaukee, 369 points
5. Green Bay, 338.5 points
6. Wright State, 315 points
7. Valparaiso, 120 points
