Men's Swimming & Diving clinches share of OAC Regular Season title with 182-118 victory over Mount Union

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team clinched at least a share of its 12th Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title with an 182-118 victory over Mount Union in a rare Sunday afternoon meet at the ONU Sporrts Center Natatorium.

The Polar Bears improve to 4-0 overall and are 3-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Purple Raiders fall to 4-2, 1-2.

Ohio Northern also extended its home OAC dual meet winning streak to an impressive 31 meets and won its 11th OAC Regular Season crown in the past 12 seasons under head coach Peggy Ewald.

Senior Braden Kuhn (Tiffin/Columbian) won the 1-meter diving with 280.85 points, surpassing the NCAA qualifying standard of 275 on the 1-meter board. He also won the 3-meter diving with 258.15 points.

Sophomore Nolan Huey (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge) won two individual races and had three victories overall.

Huey won the 200 free in 1:49.84 and the 200 back in 1:55.04 and combined with junior Anthony Ferrell (Canton/Glen Oak), freshman Zach Ayres (Chillicothe) and junior Justin Chapman (Springboro) to win the 200 medley relay in 1:39.34.

Ferrell won the 100 breast in 1:01.09 and junior Pete He (Mason) won the 200 fly in 1:59.97.

The Polar Bears finished 1-2-3 in the 200 breast, with freshman Patrick Reed winning in 2:19.21. Junior Thomas Golba (Dayton/Alter) was second in 2:19.97 and Ferrell was third in 2:20.03.

The 200 free relay team of Chapman, Golba, He and senior Ian Simpson (Strongsville) wrapped up the meet by winning in 1:30.05.

"Great day for us today," Ewald said. "We made some effective gains and swam tired yet fast. To turn around from our training trip in 48 hours and race this well, it is promising. We have more work to execute over the remainder of regular season. Tap the force of energy, we will!

"Braden made a huge step forward making the NCAA cut, and only 24 points away from the team record. It's exciting to see the improvement."

The meet was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved due to a winter storm that came through the area on Friday.

The Polar Bears will take to the road next Friday night with a final OAC match of the season at Baldwin Wallace in the annual battle for the Golden Kickboard. ONU would win the OAC Regular Season title with a victory.