Men's Swimming & Diving team wins eighth consecutive OAC Regular Season title with 193-107 victory over Mount Union

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team won its eighth consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title with a 193-107 victory over Mount Union in a battle of league unbeatens Friday night at the ONU Sports Center.

The Polar Bears improve to 8-1 overall and won the OAC crown with a 4-0 record, while the Purple Raiders fall to 8-3, 4-1.

Junior Brian Heilbronner and freshman John Raker each won two events to lead Ohio Northern.

Heilbronner swept the backstroke events, winning the 100 back in :54.66 and the 200 back in 2:03.87.

Raker won the 500 free in 4:51.80 and won the 400 I.M. in 4:24.04.

"What a great finale to the OAC regular season," ONU head coach Peggy Ewald said. "We asked our athletes to step up to the challenge on Friday night and they were terrific. They hit it on the head and produced the energy needed to race with strong commitment."

Six other Polar Bears won events as ONU claimed 12 of 16 events, in all.

Senior All-American Jordan Breitigam won the 200 fly and senior Kyle Rex won the 3-meter diving with 211.10 points.

Four other freshmen won individual events.

Eric Chen won the 100 free in :48.23, Tim Pelltier won the 1-meter diving with 239.30 points, Logan Pfeifer won the 50 free in :22.20 and Jeremy Preston won the 100 fly in :52.45.

Northern also swept the relay events.

Heilbronner, junior Jason Luthman, Preston and senior John Beaschler opened the meet by winning the 400 medley relay in 4:07.21 and Chen, Heilbronner, Pfeifer and Beaschler ended the meet by winning the 400 free relay in 3:12.93.

The Polar Bears will wrap up their 2013-14 regular season on Saturday when they host Case Western Reserve at 1 pm at the ONU Sports Center and honor their four seniors on Senior Day.