Ongay's 2nd-Place Effort Leads MS&D on Opening Day of MAC Championships

OXFORD, Ohio - - Junior Hunter Ongay took home the silver medal on the 1-meter diving board Thursday evening to lead a strong opening day for Ball State at the 2021 Mid-American Conference Men's Swimming & Diving Championships.

Overall, 12 different Cardinals scored at least two points on the first of three days of competition at Miami's Nixon Aquatic Center. In fact, five different Ball State student-athletes finished in the top eight of their respective events.

Throw in a third-place finish by the 200 Freestyle Relay and fourth-place effort by the 400 Medley Relay, and Ball State compiled 164 points and is currently in fourth among the field of five teams.

Ongay secured the most individual points (17) with his second-place score of 298.55 on the 1-meter diving board. But he was not the only Ball State diver in the top eight, as freshman Isaac Hunter took fifth (260.50 / 14 points) and sophomore Wyatt Blake placed sixth (253.00 / 13 points).

In the pool, senior Davis Meyn turned in the second-best individual effort in program history in the 500 freestyle with a prelim time of 4:30.72 Thursday morning to earn a spot in the championship heat of the finals.

Meyn would not disappoint in the finals, picking up a spot from his qualification position to place seventh overall in 4:34.52 (12 points).

Junior Ryan Short also had a strong 500 freestyle swim in the morning session, logging the third-fastest time in program history at 4:32.96. He would go on to place 10th overall with a consolation finals time of 4:33.34 (7 points).

A duo of Cardinals also climbed up the record books in the finals of the 50 freestyle, starting with sophomore Jack Wolfred who placed eighth overall in 20.53 (11 points) to move into eighth in program history.

Freshman Joey Garberick would go on to win the consolation finals heat with a ninth-place time of 20.55 (9 points) to climb into 10th in program history.

The Cardinals also got a strong showing from freshman Zach Zishka who placed 13th overall in the 200 IM with a career-fast time of 1:53.03.

In relay action, the 200 freestyle relay of Garberick, Wolfred, Jared Holder and Owen Chaye got the day started with a third-place time of 1:21.09 (32 points) to climb into second in program history.

Ball State closed the day with another strong swim in the 400 medley relay as Holder, Garberick, Bryce Handshoe and Chaye combined to touch the wall in fourth in 3:18.24 (30 points) for the second-fastest effort on BSU's all-time list.

Day two of the 2021 MAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships starts Friday morning with preliminary round action in the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 free, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 3-meter diving.

Team Standings After 6 Events
1st - Miami - 260 points
2nd - Missouri State - 232 points
3rd - Southern Illinois - 186 points
4th - Ball State - 164 points
5th - Evansville - 56 points

200 Freestyle Relay
3rd - Joey Garberick (20.58), Jack Wolfred (20.02), Jared Holder (20.16), Owen Chaye (20.33) - 1:21.09 / 32 points - 2nd in program history

500 Freestyle Championships
7th - Davis Meyn - 4:34.52 / 12 points (4:30.72 prelim - 2nd in program history)
10th - Ryan Short - 4:33.34 / 7 points (4:32.96 prelim - 3rd in program history)
14th - Landyn Riester - 4:36.40 / 3 points
DQ - Aiden Maurer (4:36.28 prelim)

200 IM Championships
13th - Zach Zishka - 1:53.03 / 4 points

50 Freestyle Championships
8th - Jack Wolfred - 20.53 / 11 points - 8th in program history
9th - Joey Garberick - 20.55 / 9 points - 10th in program history
11th - Owen Chaye - 20.70 / 6 points
13th - Jared Holder - 21.05 / 4 points
15th - Bryce Handshoe - 21.18 / 2 points

1-Meter Diving
2nd - Hunter Ongay - 298.55 / 17 points
5th - Isaac Hunter - 260.50 / 14 points
6th - Wyatt Blake - 253.00 / 13 points

400 Medley Relay
4th - Jared Holder (48.95), Joey Garberick (54.39), Bryce Handshoe (49.70), Owen Chaye (45.20) - 3:18.24 / 30 points - 2nd in program history

Thursday Morning Preliminary Rounds (swimmers not advancing to finals)
500 Freestyle Prelims
19th - Zachary Moody - 4:41:10
21st - Dillon Freiberger - 4:43.28
23rd - Sam Jennings - 4:44.56
24th - Jackson Ketcham - 4:46.92

200 IM Prelims
22nd - Noah Berryman - 2:00.15
EXH - Bennet Witteveen - 1:57.89

50 Freestyle Prelims
17th - Drew Weeks - 21.38
19th - Duncan McLarty - 21.47

Ongay's 2nd-Place Effort Leads MS&D on Opening Day of MAC Championships

Players Mentioned

Noah Berryman

Wyatt Blake

Owen Chaye

Dillon Freiberger

Joey Garberick

Bryce Handshoe

Jared Holder

Isaac Hunter

Sam Jennings

Jackson Ketcham

Aiden Maurer

Duncan McLarty

Davis Meyn

Zachary Moody

Hunter Ongay

Landyn Riester

Ryan Short

Drew Weeks

Bennet Witteveen

Jack Wolfred

Zach Zishka

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