Men's Swimming and diving opens 2018-19 season with second place finish at Kenyon Relays

By Tim Glon

GAMBIER — The Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team opened its 2018-19 season with a second place finish at the 7-team Kenyon Relays on Saturday afternoon at the Steen Aquatic Center in the debut of first-year head coach Austin Veltman.

Kenyon won the team title with 132 points, Ohio Northern was second with 88 points, Wooster was third with 66 points and Ohio Wesleyan was fourth with 52 points.

Each team scored only its top finishing relay in a 14-10-8-6-4-2 format.

In that format the Polar Bears scored the 10 second place points in five of the eight swimming events.

Northern was second in the 200 breast relay in 1:53.49, the 200 medley relay in 1:37.58, the 200 back relay in 1:40.50, the 200 fly relay in 1:36.88 and the 400 I.M. relay in 3:46.84.

Juniors Ryan Groehl (Marysville) and Nolan Huey (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge) each were on two of those relays to lead the Polar Bears.

ONU also finished second in the mixed 200 medley relay with seniors Pete He (Mason) and Anthony Ferrell (Canton/Glen Oak) combining with freshman Megan Lubinski (Milford/Brighton) and senior Kierra Watson (Brownsburg, Ind.) in 1:44.19.

Ohio Northern will return to action next weekend with Ohio Athletic Conference meets at home with Wilmington on Friday and at John Carroll on Saturday.