Men’s S&D Closes MAC Championships With Four More Medals

OXFORD, Ohio - - The Ball State men's swimming and diving team closed the final day of the 2023 Mid-American Conference Championship with four medals Saturday evening at the Miami Aquatic Center.

It was a solid overall championship for the Cardinals, which tallied its second-most points since the 2005 championships and had the first three-peat swimming champion since 1989. Overall, Ball State's swimmers and divers combined to score 457 points to take fourth overall.

The Cardinals had a few members win MAC awards beginning with Porter Brovont being named the Freshman Diver of the Year. With two silver medals on the weekend, he becomes the third Cardinal to win Freshman Diver of the Year. Brovont was also named to the All-MAC Second Team.

In addition, junior Joey Garberick and senior Owen Chaye both collected All-MAC honors. Garberick was named to the first team and Chaye to the second.

Along with the conference accolades, Garberick added to his highlight reel in the pool with his second medal of the weekend in the 200 breaststroke championship. Garberick finished as the runner-up touching at 1:57.69 for an NCAA B Cut. Earlier in the day, sophomore Michael Burns finished at 2:01.65 for fourth in program history.

Senior Bryce Handshoe also added to his weekend with another program record in the 200 butterfly championships. Handshoe placed fifth, finishing in 1:47.75 to break the 11-year-old mark. In the prelims, sophomore Michael Mitsynskyy set a new career best touching at 1:50.48 for fifth in program history.

Senior Owen Chaye continued his great championship with another top time, this coming in the 100 freestyle. In the prelims, Chaye finished at 44.35 for, at the time, a career best swim. He topped his preliminary performance in the championship heat finishing second with a final touch at 43.68 to re-break his own program record. Chaye's fastest time of his career is also an NCAA B Cut.

In the prelims, senior Jack Wolfred and freshman Mason Young both had great swims touching at 44.88 and 45.39, respectively, for fourth and tenth fastest in program history.

In the 1650 freestyle finals, junior Zach Zishka placed ninth for the Cardinals touching at 15:58.25. Zachary Moody also added a great swim, finishing at 16:06.69 for eight best in program history.

The Cardinals added two more names to the record book in the 200 backstroke. In the finals, sophomore Max Kruglov finished at 1:49.61 for the fourth fastest in program history and in the prelims, freshman Logan Ayres touched at 1:51.28 for the 10th best in program history.

In the diving well, freshman phenom Porter Brovont had another runner-up finish, this time in the 3M diving championships scoring 298.00.

Brovont is slated to return to action at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships held March 9-11 in Bloomington, Indiana. He will be joined by senior Wyatt Blake, with both divers owning zone qualifying scores on the 1M and 3M boards.

Ball State's final program record came in the meet's last event with the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet of Chaye, freshman Jacob Siewers, sophomore Ethan Pheifer, and senior Jack Wolfred finish at 2:57.53 to earn the Cardinals their fourth silver medal of the evening.

Overall, the Cardinals finished the four-day championships with 12 program records, a pair of event championships, six silver medals, and three bronze medals.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Miami - 755
2. Missouri State – 713.5
3. Southern Illinois – 611.5
4. Ball State - 457
5. Illinois Chicago – 366.5
6. Evansville – 340.5
7. Valparaiso - 99

BALL STATE SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCES

200 Backstroke
11^th - Max Kruglov – 1:49.61 – (4^th in program history)
14^th – Logan Ayres – 1:51.43
15^th – Benjamin Clarkston – 1:52.03
16^th – Ethan Pheifer – 1:54.45

100 Freestyle
2^nd – Owen Chaye – 43.58 – PROGRAM RECORD
10^th – Jack Wolfred – 45.06
14^th – Jacob Siewers – 45.28

200 Breaststroke
2^nd – Joey Garberick - 1:57.69
13^th – Michael Burns – 2:02.21

200 Butterfly
5^th – Bryce Handshoe – 1:47.75 – PROGRAM RECORD
12^th – Michael Mitsynskyy – 1:50.92

1650 Free
9^th - Zach Zishka – 15:58.25
11^th - Zachary Moody – 16:06.69 - (8^th in program history)
13^th - Aiden Maurer – 16:21.38
14^th - Alexander Eddy – 16:22.05
16^th - Logan Ayres – 16:30.38

3M Diving
2^nd - Porter Brovont – 298.00

400 Freestyle Relay
2^nd - Owen Chaye, Jacob Siewers, Ethan Pheifer, Jack Wolfred – 2:57.53 – PROGRAM RECORD

BALL STATE SATURDAY'S PRELIM PERFORMANCES

200 Backstroke
11^th - Max Kruglov – 1:49.82
14^th – Logan Ayres – 1:51.28 - (10^th in program history)
15^th – Ethan Pheifer – 1:51.72
16^th – Benjamin Clarkston – 1:51.96
19^th – Reece Manning – 1:55.00
EXH – Sam Jennings – 1:53.05

100 Freestyle
5^th – Owen Chaye – 44.35
10^th – Jack Wolfred – 44.88 – (4^th in program history)
14^th – Jacob Siewers – 45.17
17^th – Mason Young – 45.39 - (10^th in program history)
EXH – Landyn Riester – 46.57
EXH – Patrick White – 46.74
EXH – Erkan Ozgen – 47.29

200 Breaststroke
3^rd – Joey Garberick – 1:58.49
13^th – Michael Burns – 2:01.65 - (4^th in program history)
EXH – Noah Berryman – 2:12.13

200 Butterfly
6^th – Bryce Handshoe – 1:48.34
13^th – Michael Mitsynskyy – 1:50.48 - (5^th in program history)
EXH – Kenny Reed – 1:52.72

Men’s S&D Closes MAC Championships With Four More Medals

Players Mentioned

Logan Ayres

Noah Berryman

Noah Berryman

Wyatt Blake

Porter Brovont

Michael Burns

Owen Chaye

Benjamin Clarkston

Alexander Eddy

Alexander Eddy

Joey Garberick

Bryce Handshoe

Sam Jennings

Sam Jennings

Max Kruglov

Reece Manning

Reece Manning

Aiden Maurer

Aiden Maurer

Michael Mitsynskyy

Zachary Moody

Erkan Ozgen

Erkan Ozgen

Ethan Pheifer

Kenny Reed

Kenny Reed

Landyn Riester

Landyn Riester

Jacob Siewers

Patrick White

Patrick White

Jack Wolfred

Mason Young

Zach Zishka

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