Ohio Northern men close out OAC Championships title run with four crowns on Day 3 of event
By Tim Glon
AKRON — The Ohio Northern men won their ninth consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships title on Saturday at the University of Akron's Ocasek Natatorium.
The Polar Bears finished with 985 points and won 14 of the 20 titles in the meet.
ONU set seven OAC records, 10 school records, two NCAA "A" Cuts and eight NCAA "B" Cuts in the three days of the meet.
Mount Union was second with 749 points, John Carroll was third with 468 points, Wilmington was fourth with 409 points, league newcomer Transylvania (Ky.) was fifth with 237 points and Defiance was sixth with 10 points.
Junior Jordan Breitigam was named the OAC Men's Swimmer of the Year, marking the ninth consecutive year that a Polar Bear swimmer has won the award.
Junior Kyle Rex was named the OAC Men's Diver of the Year after winning the 1-meter event with 391.75 points.
Breitigam, senior Marc Anderson and junior Erik Arent finished 1-2-3 in the 200 fly, marking the third consecutive 1-2-3 finish by the Polar Bears in the event.
Breitigam won his second straight title, finishing in 1:49.93. Anderson was second in 1:56.34 and Arent was third in 1:56.46.
Breitigam's prelim time of 1:49.08 broke his own OAC and ONU records and was an NCAA "A" Cut which guarantees him a spot in the NCAA III Championships in Shenandoah, Tex.
Senior Drew Keriazes won his fourth consecutive OAC title in the 200 breast, winning in an NCAA "B" Cut of 2:06.66.
Sophomore Jason Luthman finished second in 2:09.61 to earn All-Conference kudos.
Juniors John Beaschler and Christian Garlock tied for second in the 100 free to earn All-Conference awards, touching in identical times of :46.52.
Beaschler's prelim time of :46.32 set a new school record.
Freshman Jacob Croasdell earned All-Conference honors in the 1650 free, finishing second in 16:25.76.
Freshman Sean O'Neill grabbed All-OAC honors in the 200 back by finishing third in 1:55.29.
The Polar Bears wrapped up the meet Saturday evening by winning the 400 free relay in record-setting fashion.
Garlock, Breitigam, Keriazes and Beaschler set an ONU record and topped the NCAA "B" Cut by winning in 2:05.06.
The top three individuals and the top two relay teams in each event earn All-OAC kudos.
The Polar Bears will wrap up their regular season at the Kenyon Last Chance meet next Saturday.