Men's Swimming & Diving team opens 2009-10 slate with key OAC victory over John Carroll

Michael Schultz

By Jay Garneau

| Results |

ADA —  The Ohio Northern men’s swimming and diving team opened up its 2009-10 season with a 186.5-113.5 win over John Carroll Saturday afternoon in the ONU Sports Center.

The Polar Bears improve to 1-0 overall (1-0 Ohio Athletic Conference), while the Blue Streaks fall to 1-1 overall (1-1 OAC).

Ohio Northern received contributions from several members of the team, with five swimmers each posting two individual victories.

Coming off his second straight season receiving bids to compete at the NCAA Division III Championships, junior Michael Schultz started his year in winning form. Schultz won both the 500 and 1000 free in times of 4:57.85 and 10:19.60, respectively.

Freshman Brennan Schloendorn’s first collegiate victories came in the 50 and 100 free. He finished the 50 in 21.94 and the 100 in 48.61.

Freshman Andrew Keriazes also added his first two collegiate wins, his coming in the 100 and 200 breast. He won the 100 in 1:01.45 and the 200 in 2:17.06.

Junior Garrett Dauch touched first in both the 200 free and 200 back, finishing in 1:51.78 and 2:05.75, respectively.

Also adding two Polar Bear wins was sophomore Ryan Bender, who won the 100 back in 55.64 and the 400 IM in 4:30.26.

Sophomore Nick Meyer won the 1-meter diving with a score of 216.55.

Ohio Northern also won the 200 medley relay. Bender, Dauch and Keriazes teamed with sophomore Anders Samuelson to finish in 1:40.58.

“The men have a very young team, so it was good to get the freshmen some experience,” head coach Peggy Ewald said. “The upperclassmen stepped up as well. We’re looking beyond OAC’s and hoping to send swimmers to nationals, so our performance today was a great start.”

The Polar Bears return to action as they travel to take on OAC foe Wilmington on Friday at 6 pm.