Men's Swimming & Diving team gunning for its 12th consecutive OAC Championships title Thursday-Saturday at U. of Akron
By Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern men's swimming & diving team will be gunning for its 12th consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Championships title Thursday-Saturday at the U. of Akron's Ocasek Natatorium.
The Championships will get underway with prelims at 11 am each morning with the finals starting at 6 pm each evening.
Five events will be contested on Thursday, eight more on Friday and the final seven on Saturday.
The Polar Bears, under the guidance of 12th-year head coach Peggy Ewald, have won the last 11 OAC Championships crowns.
Last year's squad won the title by a 95-point margin defeating second place Mount Union 835.5-740.5.
The 2015-16 squad won its 12th consecutive OAC Regular Season title with a 4-0 record and is currently riding a 34-meet OAC winning streak, which dates to the 2008-09 season.
ONU features the top times in 12 of the 20 events entering the meet, led by junior Trevor Keriazes.
Keriazes, holds the fastest times in the league in the 100 and 200 breast and the 200 I.M.
In fact, the Polar Bears have the top three swimmers in the 200 I.M., the 50 free and the 100 free entering the meet.
The top three finishers in each individual event and the top two relay teams earn All-Conference accolades.
Senior Mitchell Murphy is a three-time ALl-OAC performer has the fastest time in the 100 fly and is second in the 50 free behind sophomore Thomas Golba.
Junior John Raker has the top time and is the two-time defending champion in the 400 I.M. and is second to Keriazes in the 200 I.M.
Junior Eric Chen has the fastest regular season time in the 100 free, followed by junior Logan Pfeifer, Murphy and freshman Michael Parent.
Ohio Northern also holds the fastest times in all five of the relay events.
