Men's Swimming & Diving team wins OAC Regular Season title outright with 167-58 victory at Baldwin Wallace

January 19, 2018

By Tim Glon

BEREA — The Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team won the Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title outright with a 167-58 victory at Baldwin Wallace on Friday night at the BW Natatorium.

The Polar Bears improve to 5-0 overall and finish a perfect 4-0 in the OAC with the victory, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 4-4, 1-2.

Ohio Northern also claimed the Golden Kickboard trophy, which is awarded annually to the ONU-BW regular season meet winner.

ONU is now 12-2 all-time and has won 11 consecutive meets in the Golden Kickboard series.

Senior Ian Simpson (Strongsville) and junior Justin Chapman (Springboro) led the Polar Bears with three victories each on the night.

Individually, Simpson won the 200 free in 1:50.02 and the 100 back in :54.88 and Chapman won the 50 free in :22.40 and the 100 free in :49.56.

Simpson opened the meet as the anchor leg with sophomore Nolan Huey (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge), junior Anthony Ferrell (Canton/Glen Oak) and junior Pete He (Mason) to win the 200 medley relay in 1:38.43.

The 200 free relay team of Huey, freshman Zach Ayres (Chillicothe), junior Thomas Golba (Dayton/Alter) and Chapman wrapped up the meet by winning in 1:30.28.

Senior Braden Kuhn (Tiffin/Columbian) won the 1-meter diving with 231.60 points for six dives. In an unusual twist, he also won a 1-meter diving competition over five dives with 167.75 points.

Pete He won the 200 I.M. in 2:04.37, Huey won the 500 free in 4:53.08 and freshman Andrew Leibensperger (Uniontown/Green) won the 1650 free in 17:59.09.

The Polar Bears will return home on Saturday afternoon for a 1 pm dual meet with Oberlin on Senior Day at the ONU Sports Center Natatorium.