INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Vikings reached the midway point of the Horizon League Championships on Thursday evening. With two days remaining, Cleveland State is third with 205 points. Oakland continues to lead with 275 points and IUPUI jumped to second with 228 points.
The Green and White started the second night off by placing sixth through eighth in the 500-yard freestyle with Jackson Nester (4:28.11), Spencer Tussing (4:28.35), and Dominik Niedzialek (4:31.46).
Timothy Kubacki claimed the first Horizon League Championship of 2022, winning the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:46.88. Bob Fick placed sixth with a time of 1:50.78.
In the 50-yard freestyle, Paddy Johnston claimed fifth after sprinting to the wall in 20.04.
Luke Faulisi came in fifth during 1m diving with a score of 287.10.
The Vikings capped off the night with a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay with Kenny Thomas, Nathen Eberhardt, Josh Merchbaker, Paddy Johnston, finishing with a time of 1:21.36.
Head Coach Hannah Burandt said, "I am so proud of the way our men's team competed tonight. With having no fans last year at conference, it's been an adjustment for the team to settle back into an atmosphere with them, but I think tonight we found that groove again. The 500 freestyle is one of the deepest events in the league and to have three guys finish in the top eight is a big accomplishment. The win by Timmy was so special and emotional not only for the program but for him since he is a fifth-year senior. Timmy is very deserving of this championship! Luke had a terrific evening in diving, and it was great to see CJ and Trevor compete after all the adversity they have had to overcome. This league is so deep, and all the coaches have done an incredible job and it's just showing in how fast everyone is swimming and just how competitive every race is. At the end of the night, I was happy with our meet management, and now it's about leveling up tomorrow with much more racing to go."
Team Scores
1. Oakland (275)
2. IUPUI (228)
3. Cleveland State (205)
4. Green Bay (157)
5. UIC (141)
6. Milwaukee (123)
7. Youngstown State (109)
Day Three Schedule
The third day will feature the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 400 medley relay.
