Garberick & Kelly Lead Swimming at CSCAA NIC

March 14, 2024 | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

OCALA, Fla. - - Senior Joey Garberick and sophomore Payton Kelly picked up right where they left off at the Mid-American Conference Championships, opening the 2024 CSCAA National Invitational Championships with a pair of strong performances Thursday evening.

Garberick led the charge, earning the title of NIC Champion after taking top honors in the 50 breaststroke with a meet record time of 23.89 at the FAST (Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training).

A five-time individual MAC Champion, earning four titles in the 100 breaststroke and one in the 200 breaststroke over his career, Garberick shaved .51 off his prelim time which earned him the third seed heading into the championship heat.

Kelly added another podium finish to her resume as well, taking third in the 50 freestyle with a finals time of 22.59, just off her second-place time of 22.40 at the MAC Championships. Kelly entered the finals as the second seed after touching the wall in 22.81 in the prelims.

Along with the strong individual finishes, the Cardinals picked up a pair of top six finishes in the relays. The first came in the 200 freestyle relay when sophomore Benjamin Clarkston, Garberick, sophomore Jacob Siewers and junior Ethan Pheifer placed fifth in the 200 freestyle relay at 1:19.98.

Pheifer, Garberick, senior Bryce Handshoe and Siewers closed the opening day of the meet with a sixth-place time of 3:12.62 in the 400 medley relay.

Traveling north to the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, sophomore Porter Brovont placed 22nd on the 3M board with a score of 286.00 at the Ralph Wright Natatorium.

Ball State's swimmers are slated to compete in 11 more events Friday at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships, while Brovont will compete on the 1M board at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships.

Swimming starts with prelims at 9:30 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m., while diving gets underway at 1 p.m.

Thursday's NCAA Zone C Diving Results - MEN

PRELIMS
3M Diving
22nd - Porter Brovont - 286.00

Thursday's NIC Results - MEN

FINALS
200 Freestyle Relay
5th - Benjamin Clarkston, Joey Garberick, Jacob Siewers, Ethan Pheifer - 1:19.98

50 Breaststroke
1st - Joey Garberick - 23.89

400 Medley Relay
6th - Ethan Pheifer, Joey Garberick, Bryce Handshoe, Jacob Siewers - 3:12.62

PRELIMS
50 Backstroke
43rd - Ethan Pheifer - 23.50
49th - Benjamin Clarkston - 23.77

500 Freestyle
32nd - Tommy Brunner - 4:41.47

50 Butterfly
27th - Bryce Handshoe - 22.31

50 Breaststroke
31st - Aidan Biddle - 25.63
42nd - Michael Burns - 26.15

50 Freestyle
45th - Jacob Siewers - 20.95

Thursday's NIC Results - WOMEN

FINALS
200 Freestyle Relay
23rd - Natalie Marshall, Payton Kelly, Kiran Stauffer, Alexa Von Holtz - 1:34.49

50 Freestyle
3rd - Payton Kelly - 22.59

400 Medley Relay
32nd - Kiran Stauffer, Julia Ofman, Alexa Von Holtz, Natalie Marshall - 3:53.61

PRELIMS
500 Freestyle
41st - Kiran Stauffer - 4:59.65
52nd - Callie Tuma - 5:07.88

200 IM
41st - Alexa Von Holtz - 2:06.10

50 Breaststroke
40th - Julia Ofman - 29.57