Wilt wins 50 free title to lead Men's Swimming and Diving into second place after second day of OAC Championships
February 19, 2026
AKRON — Senior Selby Wilt (Findlay) won the 50-yard free title to lead the Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team on the second day at the 2026 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships on Thursday.
The Basics
- Record: Ohio Northern (8-0 overall, 4-0 OAC).
- Ohio Northern is second of five teams with 262 points.
- Mount Union leads the team standings with 293 points, Wilmington is third with 176 points, Baldwin Wallace is fourth with 110 points and Heidelberg is fifth with 85 points.
- Venue: Ocasek Natatorium — Akron, Ohio.
Meet Highlights
- Senior Selby Wilt (Findlay) won the 50 free title in :20.70.
- Wilt, sophomore Caleb Kostohryz (Wooster), senior Tyler Edmonds (Youngsville, La./Southside), and senior Nathan Clark (Cleves/Elder) finished second in the 200 free relay in 1:22.98 to earn All-OAC honors.
- Junior Nathan Herbert (Medina/Highland) was second in the 500 free in 4:39.41 to earn All-Conference kudos.
- Edmonds earned All-OAC honors with a third place finish in the 200 I.M. in career-best 1:54.41.
- Senior Simon Bopple (Cleveland/Shaker Heights), Clark, sophomore Chase McCluskey (Pickerington/North), and Wilt finished second in the 400-yard medlay relay in 3:23.20 to earning All-Conference accolades.
Notables
- The meet will consist of 20 events over four days, including 13 individual races, two diving events and five relays.
- Wilt is the fourth Polar Bear and the first since 2013 to win the OAC title in the men's 50 free.
- He is the school record holder at :20.34 set at last year's OAC Championships.
- Hebert is now ranked third all-time in ONU history.
- The men's 200-yard relay has the fourth best time in ONU history.
- Edmonds is now 7th all-time in ONU history in the 500 free with his 1:54.41 effort.
- The top three individuals and the top two relay teams in each event earn All-Conference honors.
- Northern's 8-0 regular season record is the best in program history.
- Austin Veltman is 44-20 in his seventh season as head coach of the Polar Bears.
Up Next
- The Polar Bears will return to action on day three of the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships Friday at the Ocasek Natatorium at the University of Akron. The prelims are slated for 10 am with the finals beginning at 6 pm.
