Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 4
Carbondale, Ill.
12 p.m. / 8 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Championship
Photo by: Southern Illinois University Athletics
Eagles Secure 34th MAC Championship in Thrilling Final Session
3/4/2017 10:46:00 PM | M. Swim & Dive
The Green and White edged out Missouri State by one point
Complete Results (PDF)
Photo Gallery
CARBONDALE, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The 2017 Mid-American Conference Championships came down to the final event Saturday night, March 4, but behind an incredible final session, the Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team came from behind to secure its 34th MAC Championship with a total of 718 points. The Eagles claimed their third consecutive conference title behind clutch performances late in the session, including an outstanding display on the 3-meter dive that provided a 78-point swing in the team standings.
Eastern Michigan placed three inside the top-16 in the mile, led by senior Kyle Lichtenberg (Clarkston, Mich.). Lichtenberg clocked in with the second-fastest time in EMU laurels, touching in seven second better than his previous career-best with a time of 15:12.04. Fellow seniors Chris Cutter (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers) and Marcin Rzyski (Olsztyn, Poland - Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace #4) also scored points for the Green and White, finishing ninth and 12th, respectively.
In the 200 Backstroke, momentum swung entirely in favor of the Eagles. Sophomore Tosh Kawaguchi (Cary, N.C.-Cary) headlined a 1-2-3 sweep for the Green and White with a career-best time of 1:44.73 to secure gold. Kawaguchi's time also ranks third all-time in EMU annals. Senior Cole Bateman (Hutchinson, Minn.-Hutchinson) and freshman Matan Segal rounded out the top-three, placing second and third, respectively. Also scoring points for Eastern were sophomore Ricky Perez (Greenfield, Wis.-Greenfield) and Cutter. Perez wrapped up a seventh-place finish, while Cutter returned to the pool with a short turnaround after the mile, eventually coming away with a 13th-place finish.
Sophomore Jake Tyson (Ipswich, England-Northgate) turned in the seventh-fastest time in program history in the 100 Freestyle to lock up a third-place finish with a time of 44.57. Freshman Mark Krusinski (Brecksville, Ohio-Brecksville Broadview Heights) notched a 10th-place finish, taking second in the consolation heat, with a career-best time of 45.73.
With four events to go, the Eagles stood in second-place in the team standings with a total of 539 points. Missouri State held onto a slight lead with 588 points, while Buffalo rounded out the top-three with 523.5 points.
Freshman Aaron Hendry (Evans, Ga.-Evans) reeled in an eighth-place finish in the 200 Breaststroke, while redshirt sophomore Lance Bergmann (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) touched in with a time of 2:00.98 in the consolation finals. Bergmann's time was third-fastest in his heat, as well as the ninth-best in Eastern Michigan annals, and locked up a 10th-place finish for the Green and White.
EMU reeled in major points in the 200 Butterfly to keep the Eagles within striking distance. Junior Logan Burton (Chesapeake, Va.-Hickory) was Eastern's top finisher, claiming third. Freshman Alex Arrieta (Miami, Fla.-Doral Academy Center) and junior Hunter Cook (Hilliard, Ohio-Hilliard Darby) clocked in with sixth and eighth-place finishes, respectively, to round out the championship heat performances for the Eagles. Making his return to the pool for the first time since opening the session in the mile, Rzyski won the consolation heat with a time of 1:49.61 to finish ninth-overall. Rzyski held off a Missouri State swimmer, touching in more than half a second ahead of the field to win the 'B' final.
The Eagles took over the team standings for the first time all week in the 3-meter dive, as Eastern claimed five of the top-seven slots, in addition to a 12th-place finish, with all six divers scoring 300-or-better. Senior Alex Chan (Toronto, Ontario-Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary) defended his title, tying his own career-best, which also happens to be the MAC meet record and school record, with a score of 422.75. Fellow senior Dan Gironza (New Hudson, Mich.-South Lyon) secured third with a career-best score of 357.20, while the Green and White also finished 5-6-7 in the event. Sophomore Tom Gillis (Halifax, Nova Scotia-Citadel) notched 337.50 points to take fifth, freshman Noah Galluzzo (Mexico, N.Y.) locked up sixth with a career-best 326.60, and junior Peter Rusenas (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) finished seventh. EMU's incredible diving performance put them in front of Missouri State by three points, 685-682, with one event to go.
Closing out the championships with the 400 Freestyle Relay, the Eagles had little room for error. Segal led off for the Eagles, posting a split of 45.59, before handing things over to Tyson. Tyson turned in the fastest split of the race for the Green and White (44.31), making way for a pair of upperclassmen to finish the job. Burton swam a 45.53 and turned things over to Bateman for the final stretch. Holding off a late push from the Southern Illinois relay team, Bateman touched in with a split of 44.99, to claim third-place in the race, just behind Missouri State. EMU's third-place finish kept them one point ahead MSU, sealing a sensational final day of competition and giving Eastern Michigan its 34th MAC Championship, and third in as many years.
Most Outstanding Swimmer: Mason Miller, Buffalo
Swimming Coach of the Year: Dave Collins, Missouri State
Freshmen Swimmer of the Year: Antonio Thomas, Missouri State
Most Outstanding Diver: Alex Chan, Eastern Michigan
Diving Coach of the Year: Buck Smith, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Diver of the Year: Kai Hoffmann-Dussome, Southern Illinois
Most Outstanding Senior: Andre Luz Brilhante, Southern Illinois
All-MAC 1st Team
Hudson Carroll, Buffalo
Itai De La Vega, Buffalo
Mason Miller, Buffalo
Logan Burton, Eastern Michigan
Alex Chan, Eastern Michigan
Tosh Kawaguchi, Eastern Michigan
Kyle Lichtenberg, Eastern Michigan
Jake Tyson, Eastern Michigan
Karper Cwiek, Missouri State
Chris Heye, Missouri State
Artur Osvath, Missouri State
Antonio Thomas, Missouri State
Phillip Willett, Missouri State
Andre Luz Brilhante, Southern Illinois
Filippo Dell'Olio, Southern Illinois
All-MAC 2nd Team
Charles Barry, Buffalo
Garrett Clarke, Buffalo
Eric Jensen, Buffalo
Nick Rodriguez, Buffalo
Alex Arrieta, Eastern Michigan
Cole Bateman, Eastern Michigan
Justin Andrews, Miami
Hutch Blackstone, Miami
Lucas Brock, Miami
Jack Strauss, Miami
Nicholas Wukovits, Miami
Ethan Bresette, Missouri State
Minki Kang, Missouri State
Michael Mollak, Missouri State
Bobby Wood, Southern Illinois
EMU Individual Results
*Denotes season-best
#Denotes career-best
&Denotes EMU freshman record
%Denotes program record
1650 Free
2. Kyle Lichtenberg 15:12.04#
9. Chris Cutter 15:55.88
12. Marcin Rzyski 16:13.58
x. Tanner Olmos 15:49.28#
200 Back
1. Tosh Kawaguchi 1:44.73#
2. Cole Bateman 1:45.06
3. Matan Segal 1:45.86
7. Ricky Perez 1:48.11
13. Chris Cutter 1:50.61
100 Free
3. Jake Tyson 44.57#
10. Mark Krusinski 45.73#
200 Breast
8. Aaron Hendry 2:01.02
10. Lance Bergmann 2:00.92#
200 Fly
3. Logan Burton 1:46.98
6. Alex Arrieta 1:49.35
8. Hunter Cook 1:51.65
9. Marcin Rzyski 1:49.61
3-meter Dive
1. Alex Chan 422.75#%
3. Dan Gironza 357.20#
5. Tom Gillis 337.50
6. Noah Galluzzo 326.60#
7. Peter Rusenas 320.85
12. Nicholas Fox 306.05
Photo Gallery
CARBONDALE, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The 2017 Mid-American Conference Championships came down to the final event Saturday night, March 4, but behind an incredible final session, the Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team came from behind to secure its 34th MAC Championship with a total of 718 points. The Eagles claimed their third consecutive conference title behind clutch performances late in the session, including an outstanding display on the 3-meter dive that provided a 78-point swing in the team standings.
Eastern Michigan placed three inside the top-16 in the mile, led by senior Kyle Lichtenberg (Clarkston, Mich.). Lichtenberg clocked in with the second-fastest time in EMU laurels, touching in seven second better than his previous career-best with a time of 15:12.04. Fellow seniors Chris Cutter (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers) and Marcin Rzyski (Olsztyn, Poland - Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace #4) also scored points for the Green and White, finishing ninth and 12th, respectively.
In the 200 Backstroke, momentum swung entirely in favor of the Eagles. Sophomore Tosh Kawaguchi (Cary, N.C.-Cary) headlined a 1-2-3 sweep for the Green and White with a career-best time of 1:44.73 to secure gold. Kawaguchi's time also ranks third all-time in EMU annals. Senior Cole Bateman (Hutchinson, Minn.-Hutchinson) and freshman Matan Segal rounded out the top-three, placing second and third, respectively. Also scoring points for Eastern were sophomore Ricky Perez (Greenfield, Wis.-Greenfield) and Cutter. Perez wrapped up a seventh-place finish, while Cutter returned to the pool with a short turnaround after the mile, eventually coming away with a 13th-place finish.
Sophomore Jake Tyson (Ipswich, England-Northgate) turned in the seventh-fastest time in program history in the 100 Freestyle to lock up a third-place finish with a time of 44.57. Freshman Mark Krusinski (Brecksville, Ohio-Brecksville Broadview Heights) notched a 10th-place finish, taking second in the consolation heat, with a career-best time of 45.73.
With four events to go, the Eagles stood in second-place in the team standings with a total of 539 points. Missouri State held onto a slight lead with 588 points, while Buffalo rounded out the top-three with 523.5 points.
Freshman Aaron Hendry (Evans, Ga.-Evans) reeled in an eighth-place finish in the 200 Breaststroke, while redshirt sophomore Lance Bergmann (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) touched in with a time of 2:00.98 in the consolation finals. Bergmann's time was third-fastest in his heat, as well as the ninth-best in Eastern Michigan annals, and locked up a 10th-place finish for the Green and White.
EMU reeled in major points in the 200 Butterfly to keep the Eagles within striking distance. Junior Logan Burton (Chesapeake, Va.-Hickory) was Eastern's top finisher, claiming third. Freshman Alex Arrieta (Miami, Fla.-Doral Academy Center) and junior Hunter Cook (Hilliard, Ohio-Hilliard Darby) clocked in with sixth and eighth-place finishes, respectively, to round out the championship heat performances for the Eagles. Making his return to the pool for the first time since opening the session in the mile, Rzyski won the consolation heat with a time of 1:49.61 to finish ninth-overall. Rzyski held off a Missouri State swimmer, touching in more than half a second ahead of the field to win the 'B' final.
The Eagles took over the team standings for the first time all week in the 3-meter dive, as Eastern claimed five of the top-seven slots, in addition to a 12th-place finish, with all six divers scoring 300-or-better. Senior Alex Chan (Toronto, Ontario-Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary) defended his title, tying his own career-best, which also happens to be the MAC meet record and school record, with a score of 422.75. Fellow senior Dan Gironza (New Hudson, Mich.-South Lyon) secured third with a career-best score of 357.20, while the Green and White also finished 5-6-7 in the event. Sophomore Tom Gillis (Halifax, Nova Scotia-Citadel) notched 337.50 points to take fifth, freshman Noah Galluzzo (Mexico, N.Y.) locked up sixth with a career-best 326.60, and junior Peter Rusenas (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) finished seventh. EMU's incredible diving performance put them in front of Missouri State by three points, 685-682, with one event to go.
Closing out the championships with the 400 Freestyle Relay, the Eagles had little room for error. Segal led off for the Eagles, posting a split of 45.59, before handing things over to Tyson. Tyson turned in the fastest split of the race for the Green and White (44.31), making way for a pair of upperclassmen to finish the job. Burton swam a 45.53 and turned things over to Bateman for the final stretch. Holding off a late push from the Southern Illinois relay team, Bateman touched in with a split of 44.99, to claim third-place in the race, just behind Missouri State. EMU's third-place finish kept them one point ahead MSU, sealing a sensational final day of competition and giving Eastern Michigan its 34th MAC Championship, and third in as many years.
Most Outstanding Swimmer: Mason Miller, Buffalo
Swimming Coach of the Year: Dave Collins, Missouri State
Freshmen Swimmer of the Year: Antonio Thomas, Missouri State
Most Outstanding Diver: Alex Chan, Eastern Michigan
Diving Coach of the Year: Buck Smith, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Diver of the Year: Kai Hoffmann-Dussome, Southern Illinois
Most Outstanding Senior: Andre Luz Brilhante, Southern Illinois
All-MAC 1st Team
Hudson Carroll, Buffalo
Itai De La Vega, Buffalo
Mason Miller, Buffalo
Logan Burton, Eastern Michigan
Alex Chan, Eastern Michigan
Tosh Kawaguchi, Eastern Michigan
Kyle Lichtenberg, Eastern Michigan
Jake Tyson, Eastern Michigan
Karper Cwiek, Missouri State
Chris Heye, Missouri State
Artur Osvath, Missouri State
Antonio Thomas, Missouri State
Phillip Willett, Missouri State
Andre Luz Brilhante, Southern Illinois
Filippo Dell'Olio, Southern Illinois
All-MAC 2nd Team
Charles Barry, Buffalo
Garrett Clarke, Buffalo
Eric Jensen, Buffalo
Nick Rodriguez, Buffalo
Alex Arrieta, Eastern Michigan
Cole Bateman, Eastern Michigan
Justin Andrews, Miami
Hutch Blackstone, Miami
Lucas Brock, Miami
Jack Strauss, Miami
Nicholas Wukovits, Miami
Ethan Bresette, Missouri State
Minki Kang, Missouri State
Michael Mollak, Missouri State
Bobby Wood, Southern Illinois
Team Rankings
1. Eastern Michigan 717
2. Missouri State 716
3. Buffalo 661.5
4. Miami 518.5
5. Southern Illinois 489
6. Ball State 147
7. Evansville 146
EMU Individual Results
*Denotes season-best
#Denotes career-best
&Denotes EMU freshman record
%Denotes program record
1650 Free
2. Kyle Lichtenberg 15:12.04#
9. Chris Cutter 15:55.88
12. Marcin Rzyski 16:13.58
x. Tanner Olmos 15:49.28#
200 Back
1. Tosh Kawaguchi 1:44.73#
2. Cole Bateman 1:45.06
3. Matan Segal 1:45.86
7. Ricky Perez 1:48.11
13. Chris Cutter 1:50.61
100 Free
3. Jake Tyson 44.57#
10. Mark Krusinski 45.73#
200 Breast
8. Aaron Hendry 2:01.02
10. Lance Bergmann 2:00.92#
200 Fly
3. Logan Burton 1:46.98
6. Alex Arrieta 1:49.35
8. Hunter Cook 1:51.65
9. Marcin Rzyski 1:49.61
3-meter Dive
1. Alex Chan 422.75#%
3. Dan Gironza 357.20#
5. Tom Gillis 337.50
6. Noah Galluzzo 326.60#
7. Peter Rusenas 320.85
12. Nicholas Fox 306.05
Players Mentioned
Free/Fly
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Breast/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
IM/Breast/Fly
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Breast
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Diving
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free/Fly
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly
/ M. Swim & DiveEastern Michigan Head Coach Peter Linn
Monday, June 04
Day 3 Recap: 2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
Saturday, March 12
2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Champions: Eastern Michigan
Saturday, March 12
Day 1 Recap: 2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
Saturday, March 12