Championship Central Page

YORK, Pa. (Men’s Swimming) – The Widener Pride captured their 13^th all-time Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Men’s Swimming title on Sunday. The Pride collected 530 points to win their first title since 2010.
 
Widener’s junior Ian Gaynor was named the 2016 David B. Eavenson Award winner as the MAC Men’s Swimmer of the Year for the second-straight year. Gaynor led the men’s individual point standings with 60 points, winning gold in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. The junior was also part of the gold medal winning 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay teams.
 
The Pride’s AJ Green was named the 2016 MAC Men’s Swimming Rookie of the Year. Green finished second in the men’s individual standings with 57 points. The freshman won gold in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly events. He took silver in the 100-yard freestyle behind Gaynor. Green was also part of the gold-medal winning 200- and 400-yard relay teams; and bronze-medal winning 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams.
 
Widener’s Katy Peterson was named the 2016 MAC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year.
 
1,650-YARD FREESTYLE
Hood’s Cameron Rogers won gold in the distance race with an NCAA “B” cut time of 16:15.08. Rogers earned the Blazers’ first gold medal of the championship. Arcadia’s Grant Fisher took second in a time of 16:33.25, and Messiah’s Jeremy Wakeley finished third in a time of 16:44.39.
 
200-YARD BACKSTROKE
Hood’s Chris Gardner won gold with a time of 1:53.01. Gardner defeated the 2015 champion, Joe Grzech of Misericordia. Grzech finished second in a time of 1:53.97. King’s Bryce Groshardt took third in a time of 1:55.60.

100-YARD FREESTYLE
Widener’s Ian Gaynor won the 100-yard freestyle for the third-straight year. His time of 45.46 seconds is an NCAA “B” cut time and is the new championship fastest finals time. The Pride’s AJ Green took second in a time of 45.91 seconds, and Misericordia’s Matt Cullen was third in a time of 46.77 seconds.
 
200-YARD BREASTSTROKE
Misericordia’s Thomas Scott won gold for the third-straight season in the 200-yard breaststroke. Scott won with a time of 2:06.05. Albright’s Ken Richardson took second with a time of 2:07.43, and Stevenson’s Andrew Sears took third with a time of 2:08.59.
 
200-YARD BUTTERFLY
Arcadia’s Timothy Graham won gold with an NCAA “B” cut time of 1:53.54. His time is also the new championship finals fastest mark. Graham also won the event in 2014. Messiah’s Dakota Schmalz, who won the event in 2015, finished second in a time of 1:54.64, and Lebanon Valley’s Ian Lloyd took third in a time of 1:56.37.
 
400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Widener’s Ian Gaynor, Tom Platt, Jeffrey Hicks and AJ Green won gold with an NCAA “B” cut time of 3:04.36 to set a new fastest championship finals time. Albright finished in second with a time of 3:11.43, and Misericordia took third with a time of 3:12.73.
 
 
Men’s Final Standings
1. Widener, 530 points
2. Albright, 485 points
3. Messiah, 400 points
4. Arcadia, 382 points
5. Misericordia, 370 points
6. Hood, 335 points
7. Lycoming, 257 points
8. King’s, 193 points
9. Lebanon Valley, 185 points
10. FDU-Florham, 140 points
11. Stevenson, 101 points
12. Wilkes, 44 points