The 2021-22 Valpo men’s swimming team continued to rewrite the program’s record book on Friday, setting four program records in addition to multiple other top-10 placements on the third day of the MAC Championships from Carbondale, Ill. Valpo’s relays remained perfect at the championship meet, as the fourth relay of the competition setting the fourth new relay program record.

How It Happened

• Dominic May (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) posted Valpo’s top individual finish of the day, coming home in fifth place in the 200 free. His time of 1:38.40 in the event final edged out his previous program record in the event by .03 to set a new standard.
• Andrew Berzai (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) lowered Valpo’s program record twice on Friday in the 400 IM. Berzai broke the previous record in the event by a massive 1.50 seconds in the morning prelims, swimming a 4:00.92, and then came home in 11^th place in the finals on Friday evening, lowering his time to 4:00.78.
• Also in the 400 IM, Ethan Welker (Clear Spring, Md./Saint James School) improved on his PR which ranked fourth in program history in the prelims with a time of 4:07.14. Welker then posted a time of 4:06.27 to move into third place all-time at Valpo in the event, good for 14^th
• Derek Eidson (Ventura, Calif./Ventura) smashed the previous program record in the 100 fly by .47 Friday morning, swimming a prelim time of 50.31. Eidson went on to finish 15^th in the event finals Friday evening.
• Eidson qualified for a second ‘B’ final with a prelim time of 51.72 in the 100 back, a time which improved his PR which ranks second in program history, before coming in 16^th Ian Jaegers (Los Alamos, N.M./Los Alamos) swam a prelim time of 51.88 in the same event, fourth-best all-time at Valpo.
• Billy Bennett (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) was the top finisher in the ‘B’ final of the 100 breast on Friday evening, posting a final time of 56.20. Brendan Stangeland (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) and Rick Renner (Chantilly, Va./Lake Braddock) also competed in the ‘B’ final in the event as well.
• Jaegers, Bennett, Eidson and May combined to swim the 400 medley relay in 3:23.30, setting a program standard in the event by .36 to continue this year’s squad’s perfect run in record-setting relays at the championship meet.

Next Up

Valpo will conclude the 2022 MAC Championships on Saturday. Prelim swims start at 10:30 a.m., the 1650 will commence at 4:45 p.m. and finals will begin at 6:30 p.m.