Four Polar Bears named Academic All-Conference in Men's Swimming & Diving

By Tim Glon

ADA — Four members of the Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team were named Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference for 2016-17.

Senior Eric Chen (Mason), juniors Thomas Golba (Dayton/Alter) and Ian Simpson (Strongsville) and sophomore Gabe Rastatter (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) all received the honor.

Chen, a pharmaceutical business major, is now a 3-time Academic All-OAC honoree.

He is also a 13-time OAC Champion and a 19-time All-Conference award winner.

This season, Chen was part of ONU's OAC Champion 400 and 800 free relay teams and was All-OAC in the 100 and 200 free events and as part of ONU's 200 free and 400 medley relays.

Golba is now a two-time Academic All-OAC award winner and is a mechanical engineering major.

He has been named All-Conference as part of ONU's 200 free relay team twice in his career.

He has also posted multiple top-8 finishes in the 50 free, 100 breast and 200 breast at the OAC Championships meet.

Simpson was also named Academic All-OAC as a sophomore in 2015-16 and is majoring in civil engineering.

He is a 3-time OAC Champion as part of ONU's OAC-winning medley relay teams and is a 7-time All-OAC honoree.

This season, he was on ONU's winning 400 medley relay team and was All-OAC in the 200 free and 200 medley relay teams at the OAC Championships meet.

He also posted fourth place finishes in the 50 free, 100 back and 200 back events.

Rastatter, a pre-law major, specializes in the spring free events.

In his first two seasons as a Polar Bear, he has scored points in the 50, 100 and 200 free events at the OAC Championships.

Ohio Northern finished 5-3 overall and were 2-2 in OAC dual meets in 2016-17. ONU finished second at the OAC Championships under 13th-year head coach Peggy Ewald.