Bulls Extend Lead at MAC Men’s Swim Championships
CARBONDALE, IL – The University at Buffalo extended its lead on Friday after the Bulls won three events on the second day of the 2011 Mid-American Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at Southern Illinois University's Edward J. Shea Natatorium.
UB swept both relays on Friday night, breaking school records in both races. In the opening race of the night, the 200-yard medley relay, UB's Phil Aronica, Matt Hogan, Matt Schwippert and Jared Heine finished first in 1:27.87, earning an NCAA B cut time and breaking the old UB record by nearly three seconds. It was also a MAC and MAC Championship record. The Bulls also broke the UB, MAC and MAC meet marks in the 800-yard freestyle relay, Friday's final event, by more than three seconds picking up another B cut. The freestyle foursome included Aronica, Heine, Simon Proudfoot and Hogan.
Hogan won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:37.05, breaking his 2010 mark of 1:38.30. The time also earned Hogan a B cut as he finished two seconds ahead of second-place Matt Parsons of Southern Illinois. Heine placed fifth in the final in a season-best 1:39.43 with Proudfoot taking seventh in 1:40.55. Tommy Steele earned points with his eighth-place finish (16th overall) in the consolation final in 1:43.27 after setting a season-best 1:42.06 in Friday's preliminary heats.
Two Bulls set the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke. Christian Muller finished second in the championship final, earning the school mark in 56.21. During the preliminaries Josh Meints broke his old mark with 56.40 clocking. Meints finished third in the championship final in 56.32. Sterling Gell was eighth in the championship race in 57.27.
Schwippert earned a B cut with his second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke. Schwippert set his top time of 48.43 in the heats and turned in a 48.50 clocking in the championship race. Aronica, who set the 100-yard backstroke record in the opening leg of Thursday's 400-yard medley relay, finished fifth in 49.81 with Zorsch taking seventh in 51.29.
Zorsch also set a school record in the 100-yard butterfly final as he finished third in 48.63. Zorsch broke Schwippert's 2010 record in the preliminaries with a 48.74 clocking. Schwippert finished fourth in the championship in 48.65 with Mike Dugan fifth in 48.98. Chris Berloth and Chris Waldock earned consolation points. Berloth took third in the consolation final (11th overall) in a season-best 50.22 while Waldock was fourth (12th overall) in 50.24.
Andrew Tanzey finished sixth in the 400-yard individual medley in 4:00.22. Tanzey set a season-best in the preliminaries in 3:59.16, qualifying third.
After two days, the Bulls extended their lead over Southern Illinois to 114 points. UB has scored 539 points with the homestanding Salukis second at 425. Defending champion Eastern Michigan is third in the seven-team meet with 399 points.
Competition concludes Saturday.
Team scores: Buffalo 539, Southern Illinois 425, Eastern Michigan 399, Miami (Ohio) 314, Missouri State 265, Ball State 173, Evansville 109.