Men's S&D Wins Third-Straight Butler Invite to Close Regular Season

Sunday, February 1

Fishers, IN

12:30 pm

Ball State University

Butler Invitational

Photo by: Sam Findley/Ball State Athletics

Men's S&D Wins Third-Straight Butler Invite to Close Regular Season

February 01, 2026 | Men's Swimming and Diving

FISHERS, Ind. – The Ball State men's swimming and diving program closed its regular season with 11 event wins, including 40 top five finishes, to best Valparaiso 191-70 for its third-straight victory at the Butler Invitational.

AJ Friend led the Cardinals inside of the Fishers High School Natatorium, capturing individual wins in both the 100 backstroke (50.47) and 100 butterfly (48.23). His time in the 100 fly shaved .04 off his second-fastest time in program history, which he set at House of Champions earlier this season (Nov. 20-22).
Both the 100 back and 100 fly saw the Cardinals claim the top five positions.

In the backstroke event, George Patterson followed .03 behind Friend with a time of 50.50. The next three positions were filled with Colin Walrond who earned third (50.99), Benjamin Clarkston who placed fourth (51.49) and Max Kruglov who finished fifth (51.75). In the 100 fly, Friend was accompanied by Clarkston (50.54), Mason Young (50.85), Henry Ko (51.82), and Luke Pryor (51.96).

Friend, William Raches and Patterson aided in both of Ball State's relay victories, first joining Aidan Biddle to combine for a winning time of 1:29.46 in the 200 medley relay. To close the afternoon, the trio teamed with Benjamin Clarkston to take the 400 freestyle relay (3:00.54).

Adding to Ball State's dominance Sunday afternoon was a top four sweep in the 200 butterfly, which was led by Malcolm Slater (1:51.06). Slater was followed by Ko (1:52.28), Pryor (1:53.20) and Reeve Ferber (1:53.70).

The men's team claimed a 1-2-3 finish in the 50 freestyle, as Raches earned his first win in the event with a time of (20.89). Zack Vervlied placed second with a time of 21.49, and Young followed closely in third (21.53).

Seth Blossom took top placement in the meet's longest event, posting a time of 16:05.08 in the 1650 freestyle.

Also earning wins in the pool were Dominick Perkowski in the 200 freestyle (1:41.81), Biddle in the 100 Breaststroke (55.76), Patterson in the 100 freestyle (45.23) and Ike Ruszkowski in the 200 breaststroke (2:04.66).

The men's program now sets its focus on the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Championships, which takes place Feb. 25-28 at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Ind.

BALL STATE RESULTS
200 Medley Relay | Program Record - 1:26.35 by Pheifer, Garberick, Handshoe, Chaye in 2023
1st – William Raches, Aidan Biddle, AJ Friend, George Patterson – 1:29.46
2nd – Colin Walrond, Reeve Ferber, Henry Ko, Benjamin Clarkston – 1:31.91
3rd – Max Kruglov, Ike Ruszkowski, Malcolm Slater, Mason Young – 1:34.09

1650 Freestyle | Program Record - 15:33.58 by Magnus Ohlsson in 1995
1st – Seth Blossom – 16:05.08
2nd – Tommy Brunner – 16:27.66
5th – Kenny Reed – 17:31.67

200 Freestyle | Program Record - 1:35.98 by George Patterson in 2025
1st – Dominick Perkowski – 1:41.18
2nd – Nathan Harper – 1:41.28

100 Backstroke | Program Record - 48.32 by Jared Holder in 2021
1st – AJ Friend – 50.47
2nd – George Patterson – 50.50
3rd – Colin Walrond – 50.99
4th – Benjamin Clarkston – 51.49
5th – Max Kruglov – 51.75

100 Breaststroke | Program Record - 51.93 by Joey Garberick in 2024
1st – Aidan Biddle – 55.76
2nd – Ike Ruszkowski – 57.48

200 Butterfly | Program Record - 1:46.93 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
1st – Malcolm Slater – 1:51.06
2nd – Henry Ko – 1:52.28
3rd – Luke Pryor – 1:53.20
4th – Reeve Ferber – 1:53.70

50 Freestyle | Program Record - 19.89 by Owen Chaye on Two Occasions
1st – William Raches – 20.89
2nd – Zack Vervlied – 21.49
3rd – Mason Young – 21.53

100 Freestyle | Program Record - 43.58 by Owen Chaye in 2023
1st – George Patterson – 45.23
4th – Seth Blossom – 49.21

200 Backstroke | Program Record - 1:47.38 by Ethan Pheifer in 2025
2nd – William Raches – 1:51.59
3rd – Nathan Harper – 1:53.10
4th – Max Kruglov – 1:53.78

200 Breaststroke | Program Record - 1:54.78 by Joey Garberick in 2024
1st – Ike Ruszkowski – 2:04.66

500 Freestyle | Program Record - 4:27.13 by George Patterson in 2025
2nd – Dominick Perkowski – 4:41.82
4th – Aidan Biddle – 4:48.94

100 Butterfly | Program Record - 47.84 by Bryce Handshoe in 2024
1st – AJ Friend – 48.23 – second in program history
2nd – Benjamin Clarkston – 50.54
3rd – Mason Young – 50.85
4th – Henry Ko – 51.82
5th – Luke Pryor – 51.96

400 IM | Program Record - 3:57.18 by Zach Zishka in 2023
2nd – Malcolm Slater – 4:03.17
5th – Tommy Brunner – 4:18.18

400 Freestyle Relay | Program Record - 2:56.24 by Friend, Patterson, Raches, Siewers in 2025
1st – AJ Friend, William Raches, Benjamin Clarkston, Goerge Patterson – 3:00.54 – sixth in program history
3rd – Ike Ruszkowski, Colin Walrond, Reeve Ferber, Aidan Biddle – 3:14.84