Season Review: Men’s Swimming & Diving’s 2021-22 season was full of highlights

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving team put together quite a season in 2021-22.

The year included new school records, an impressive showing at the Ohio Athletic Conference meet and an appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. The Polar Bears went 5-3 in regular-season dual meets but were a perfect 4-0 against conference foes en route to finishing second at the OAC Championships, marking their 21st straight top-three finish at the conference meet.

"We came out in October and surprised ourselves with how well we were doing, and after we went undefeated in our conference dual meets, we felt really good about the OAC meet and what we could do as a team. We wanted to improve our standing from last season, and the guys did it," fourth-year head coach Austin Veltman said. "It was exciting to see some records come off the board. All of those performances were very memorable. Records keep getting broken throughout the sport each year, so we love to see that happen for our guys as well."

Nine different Polar Bears earned All-Conference accolades by finishing in the top three of an individual event or top two in a relay. The impressive showing was highlighted by freshman Holden Cubberley (Celina), who won conference titles in both the 1- and 3-meter diving competitions and was named OAC Diver of the Year.

Cubberley, ONU's first conference champion in 1- and 3-meter diving since Braden Kuhn took both honors in 2016, broke the school record in the 3-meter diving competition with 500.50 points for 11 dives. That surpassed the previous record of 493.00 points set by Kuhn in 2018.

"Holden didn't have a lot of opportunity to dive 3-meter in high school, so seeing him go out and break the 3-meter record was just awesome," Veltman said.

Cubberley, who was named the OAC Diver of the Month for December, went on to place ninth on the 1-meter board and fifth on the 3-meter board at the NCAA III Regional Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich., which qualified him for the national championships in both competitions. At the Division III Championships, Cubberley placed 18th on the 1-meter board and 19th on the 3-meter board.

"During the summer, Holden worked hard to gain 3-meter experience to prepare himself for college diving. He's come such a long way and has improved so much on that board," Veltman said.

Sophomore Charlie Spyker (Harrod/Shawnee) joined Cubberley at the regional meet where he placed 25th after earning All-OAC honors with a third-place showing in the 1-meter diving. He was also All-Conference in the 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.

"Charlie is a team player who will do whatever the team needs him to do. His focus is swimming, but he helps out the team on the boards as well," Veltman said. "We knew the conference meet was going to be close, so the plan was always to have Charlie dive 1-meter at OACs. Qualifying for regionals without focusing his practice time fully on diving is a testament to just how talented a diver he is."

Senior Jeremy Adams (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ann Arbor Pioneer) was another standout for the Polar Bears this season. He was named OAC Men's Swimmer of the Week five times, broke two school records and hauled in six All-OAC finishes to give him 16 in his career.

"Jeremy is very self-motivated both in the pool and the classroom. He's diligent and focuses on his priorities," Veltman said. "He possesses a great work ethic, pays attention to details and is very competitive. He races hard and is confident in his abilities."

Adams was All-OAC in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 I.M., 400 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.

He finished second in the 100 breast with a new school-record time of :55.36, besting the old mark by four seconds to earn his fourth straight All-OAC accolade in the event.

"Jeremy had been gunning for that record ever since he started at ONU, so it was wonderful to see him get it," Veltman said.

Adams' leadoff time of :45.81 in the 400 free relay was also a program-best, as he edged the previous school record of :45.84 set by Eric Chen in 2016 en route to a second-place All-OAC showing for the group.

"There's no doubt he wanted that record too, he's been getting closer to it each year. He earned it," Veltman said. "It was exciting to watch, especially leading off the relay."

Senior Mike Lewandowski (Shelby Township, Mich./Eisenhower), sophomore Ben Lacey (Lebanon) and freshman Brady Horgan (New Richmond/McNicholas) joined Adams on the relay team.

Lewandowski, Lacey, Horgan and senior Jackson Stanley (Beavercreek) added an All-OAC performance in the 200 free relay. Spyker, Adams, Stanley and Horgan were All-Conference in the 400 medley relay, and the combination of Spyker, Adams, Stanley and Lacey earned All-Conference honors in the 200 medley relay.

Lacey added a fourth All-OAC accolade to his tally, finishing second in the 50 free.

"Ben is an individual," Veltman said. "He succeeds when he is just being himself, when he stays loose and relaxed. He's on the hunt for that 50 free school record, and I'm sure he'll get there."

Junior Calob Cope (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) was named All-OAC in the 500 free, 400 I.M. and 1650 free for the second straight year.

"Calob has been a consistent presence for us in the distance events and is one of those guys who really wants to succeed and improve and chase down his goals," Veltman said. "Calob is tough, both mentally and physically, and I'm looking forward to watching him step into the senior leadership role next season."

Sophomore Evan Sailor (Goshen, Ind.) rounded out ONU's list of All-Conference performers, finishing third in 3-meter diving.

Outside of the pool, Adams and Spyker were recognized for their achievements in the classroom, as they were both Academic All-OAC selections.

"Being a student-athlete is a challenge in all sports, and swimming and diving is no exception," Veltman said. "The season can be a grind, and successfully balancing that grind with the rigor of a full course load is physically and mentally difficult. Our team does an excellent job of rising to that challenge."

Despite losing some key team members to graduation this year, the Polar Bears are looking forward to building on their success with an eye toward a conference championship in 2022-23.

"We're graduating some key contributors like lots of teams are, but we're excited about what the incoming freshman class can contribute as well," Veltman said. "The goal is to improve every year as a team, and we can definitely do that next season."