Photo by: Bobby Ellis/Ball State University
Men's S&D Win Two Medals on Day Three of the MVC Championships
February 21, 2025 | Men's Swimming and Diving
OXFORD, Ohio – The Ball State men's swimming and diving program won two medals on day three of the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships at the Corwin M. Nixon aquatic center Friday evening.
The Cardinals' first medal of the week was secured by sophomore Aidan Biddle, who earned a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (53.81), also earning the second-fastest time in program history.
At last year's Mid-American Conference Championships, Biddle placed second in the consolation heat of the same event (54.80) which earned him the third-fastest finish at the time.
AJ Friend, Ethan Pheifer, Mason Young and Jacob Siewers banded together to win silver in the 200 freestyle relay, as they combined to finish with a time of 1:20.39.
In the 200 freestyle earlier in the evening, sophomore Malcolm Slater placed eighth to earn the fifth-fastest time in program history. Slater was followed by Siewers, who placed ninth (1:38.36), and freshman Nathan Harper, who placed 11th (1:39.69).
Prior to his dominant aid in relay action, Friend topped his personal-best time in the 100 butterfly as he earned individual points for Ball State, placing 15th (48.62). Friends' final time moved him to the third-fastest in program history.
Also earning individual points for the Cardinals were Pheifer, who placed 11th in the 100 backstroke (48.80); Tommy Brunner, who placed ninth in the 400 individual medley (3:59.50); Michael Burns, who placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke (54.94); and Cutter Shipman, who placed 13th in the 100 breaststroke (55.26).
After three days of competition, the Cardinals remain in fifth place out of seven teams with 237.5 points. Miami is first with 569, followed by Southern Illinois with 452.
Action in the 2025 MVC Championships concludes Saturday with five more individual swimming events, finals of 3-meter diving, and the 400 freestyle relay. Prelims start at 10:30 a.m. ET and finals at 6 p.m. ET.
Ball State Results on Day 3 of the MVC Championships
FRIDAY EVENING FINAL RESULTS
100 Butterfly | Program Record - 47.84 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
15th – AJ Friend – 48.62 – 3rd in program history
400 IM | Program Record - 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
9th – Tommy Brunner – 3:59.50
16th – Zach Zishka – 4:07.17
200 Freestyle | Program Record - 1:37.05 by Jacob Siewers in 2024
8th – Malcolm Slater – 1:39.27
9th – Jacob Siewers – 1:38.36
11th – Nathan Harper – 1:39.69
100 Breaststroke | Program Record - 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
3rd – Aidan Biddle – 53.81 – 2nd in program history
T-11th – Michael Burns – 54.94
13th – Cutter Shipman – 55.26 - 5th in program history
100 Backstroke | Program Record - 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
11th – Ethan Pheifer – 48.80
200 Freestyle Relay | Program Record - 1:18.88 by Chaye, Garberick, Siewers, Pheifer in 2024
2nd – AJ Friend, Ethan Pheifer, Mason Young, Jacob Siewers – 1:20.39
FRIDAY MORNING PRELIM RESULTS
100 Butterfly | Program Record - 47.84 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
Advanced to B Finals – 14th – AJ Friend – 48.72
Prelims
17th – Mason Young – 49.24 – T-6th in program history
23rd – Benjamin Clarkston – 50.17
24th – Michael Mitsynskyy – 50.21
25th – Luke Pryor – 50.33
EX – Reeve Ferber – 50.71
EX - Kenny Reed – 51.31
EX – Auston Shafer – 51.41
400 IM | Program Record - 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
Advanced to B Finals – 10th – Tommy Brunner – 4:00.85
Advanced to B Finals – 12th – Zach Zishka – 4:03.05
200 Freestyle | Program Record - 1:37.05 by Jacob Siewers in 2024
Advanced to A Finals – 6th – Malcolm Slater – 1:38.03 – 2nd in program history
Advanced to B Finals – 9th – Jacob Siewers – 1:38.67
Advanced to B Finals – 10th – Nathan Harper – 1:38.74 - 3rd in program history
Prelims
17th – Seth Blossom – 1:41.02
20th – Dominick Perkowski – 1:41.41
22nd – Alexander Eddy – 1:42.14
100 Breaststroke | Program Record - 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
Advanced to A Finals - 2nd – Aidan Biddle – 54.03
Advanced to B Finals - 9th – Michael Burns – 54.80 – 4th in program history
Advanced to B Finals - 12th – Cutter Shipman – 55.44
Prelims
EX – Reeve Ferber – 57.77
100 Backstroke | Program Record - 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
Advanced to B Final - T-9th – Ethan Pherifer – 48.91
Prelims
26th - Luke Pryor – 51.65
EX – Logan Ayres – 52.50
EX – Erkan Ozgen – 52.59
3M Diving | Program Record - 359.25 by Wyatt Blake in 2023
Advanced to A Finals - 3rd - Porter Brovont – 298.85
Advanced to B Finals - 15th – Mitchell Mauck – 235.95
The Cardinals' first medal of the week was secured by sophomore Aidan Biddle, who earned a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (53.81), also earning the second-fastest time in program history.
At last year's Mid-American Conference Championships, Biddle placed second in the consolation heat of the same event (54.80) which earned him the third-fastest finish at the time.
AJ Friend, Ethan Pheifer, Mason Young and Jacob Siewers banded together to win silver in the 200 freestyle relay, as they combined to finish with a time of 1:20.39.
In the 200 freestyle earlier in the evening, sophomore Malcolm Slater placed eighth to earn the fifth-fastest time in program history. Slater was followed by Siewers, who placed ninth (1:38.36), and freshman Nathan Harper, who placed 11th (1:39.69).
Prior to his dominant aid in relay action, Friend topped his personal-best time in the 100 butterfly as he earned individual points for Ball State, placing 15th (48.62). Friends' final time moved him to the third-fastest in program history.
Also earning individual points for the Cardinals were Pheifer, who placed 11th in the 100 backstroke (48.80); Tommy Brunner, who placed ninth in the 400 individual medley (3:59.50); Michael Burns, who placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke (54.94); and Cutter Shipman, who placed 13th in the 100 breaststroke (55.26).
After three days of competition, the Cardinals remain in fifth place out of seven teams with 237.5 points. Miami is first with 569, followed by Southern Illinois with 452.
Action in the 2025 MVC Championships concludes Saturday with five more individual swimming events, finals of 3-meter diving, and the 400 freestyle relay. Prelims start at 10:30 a.m. ET and finals at 6 p.m. ET.
Ball State Results on Day 3 of the MVC Championships
FRIDAY EVENING FINAL RESULTS
100 Butterfly | Program Record - 47.84 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
15th – AJ Friend – 48.62 – 3rd in program history
400 IM | Program Record - 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
9th – Tommy Brunner – 3:59.50
16th – Zach Zishka – 4:07.17
200 Freestyle | Program Record - 1:37.05 by Jacob Siewers in 2024
8th – Malcolm Slater – 1:39.27
9th – Jacob Siewers – 1:38.36
11th – Nathan Harper – 1:39.69
100 Breaststroke | Program Record - 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
3rd – Aidan Biddle – 53.81 – 2nd in program history
T-11th – Michael Burns – 54.94
13th – Cutter Shipman – 55.26 - 5th in program history
100 Backstroke | Program Record - 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
11th – Ethan Pheifer – 48.80
200 Freestyle Relay | Program Record - 1:18.88 by Chaye, Garberick, Siewers, Pheifer in 2024
2nd – AJ Friend, Ethan Pheifer, Mason Young, Jacob Siewers – 1:20.39
FRIDAY MORNING PRELIM RESULTS
100 Butterfly | Program Record - 47.84 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
Advanced to B Finals – 14th – AJ Friend – 48.72
Prelims
17th – Mason Young – 49.24 – T-6th in program history
23rd – Benjamin Clarkston – 50.17
24th – Michael Mitsynskyy – 50.21
25th – Luke Pryor – 50.33
EX – Reeve Ferber – 50.71
EX - Kenny Reed – 51.31
EX – Auston Shafer – 51.41
400 IM | Program Record - 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
Advanced to B Finals – 10th – Tommy Brunner – 4:00.85
Advanced to B Finals – 12th – Zach Zishka – 4:03.05
200 Freestyle | Program Record - 1:37.05 by Jacob Siewers in 2024
Advanced to A Finals – 6th – Malcolm Slater – 1:38.03 – 2nd in program history
Advanced to B Finals – 9th – Jacob Siewers – 1:38.67
Advanced to B Finals – 10th – Nathan Harper – 1:38.74 - 3rd in program history
Prelims
17th – Seth Blossom – 1:41.02
20th – Dominick Perkowski – 1:41.41
22nd – Alexander Eddy – 1:42.14
100 Breaststroke | Program Record - 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
Advanced to A Finals - 2nd – Aidan Biddle – 54.03
Advanced to B Finals - 9th – Michael Burns – 54.80 – 4th in program history
Advanced to B Finals - 12th – Cutter Shipman – 55.44
Prelims
EX – Reeve Ferber – 57.77
100 Backstroke | Program Record - 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
Advanced to B Final - T-9th – Ethan Pherifer – 48.91
Prelims
26th - Luke Pryor – 51.65
EX – Logan Ayres – 52.50
EX – Erkan Ozgen – 52.59
3M Diving | Program Record - 359.25 by Wyatt Blake in 2023
Advanced to A Finals - 3rd - Porter Brovont – 298.85
Advanced to B Finals - 15th – Mitchell Mauck – 235.95
Players Mentioned
Back, Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Dive
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Dive
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breast, IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly, Back
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, Breast, Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free/Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free/Back
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly, Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Back, Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly, IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free, IM
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