Valparaiso’s men’s swimming and diving team returned to the water for the first time in more than a month on Saturday afternoon, and posted a third place finish at the Ball State Relay Invitational in Muncie, Ind.

The Crusaders scored 74 points on the afternoon while the host Cardinals tallied 210 points to win the meet while IUPUI was second with 126 points.

The Brown and Gold’s top finish came in the 400 medley relay as Kevin Fedde (Fort Collins, Colo./Heritage Christian H.S), David Sivak (Hobart, Ind./Hobart H.S.), Austin Hunter (La Crescent, Minn./La Crescent H.S.), and Blake Edwards (Orange, Calif./Lutheran H.S. of Orange County) posted a time of 3:56.39.

Valpo’s 300 butterfly relay finished third to open the meet as Hunter, Sivak, and Thomas Patrick (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead H.S.) finished with a time of 2:47.00, less than a second out of second place.

The 800 freestyle relay also just missed second place by 0.30 seconds, earning a third place finish as Trevor Trimpe (New Palestine, Ind./Connersville H.S.), Edwards, Sivak, and Patrick turned in a time of 7:33.70.

The 200 medley relay also finished third on the afternoon for the Brown and Gold with a time of 1:43.66 as Fedde, Sivak, Hunter, and Edwards teamed up.  Fedde, Edwards, and Steve Booth (Saint Joseph, Mich./Saint Joseph H.S.) placed third in the 1500 free relay, touching the wall in 15:51.77.

Valparaiso will return to the water in two weeks to face UIC on January 23.  The meet begins at 11 a.m. in Chicago, Ill.