To be honest, I'm not sure if the Saint Ignatius swimming & diving team really needs to set any New Year's resolutions. They're doing pretty darn well as it is.
The Wildcats absolutely dominated the Wally Relays at Cleveland State University's Robert Busbey Natatorium on Saturday evening. Swimming at home, the Cats cruised to a first-place finish with 198 points.
In the process, the team made history. The Wildcats became the first squad to win every event in the history of the Wally Relays. In doing so, the Wildcats set three new meet records. See, this team doesn't need to worry about getting a gym membership in January.
Where to start ... Well, how about with the record-breaking 200 medley relay?
Tyler Hong, Robert Gavigan, Brian Johnson, and John Soeder tallied an impressive time of 1:37.35 in the event, shattering the previous record. The quartet of three seniors and one junior put on quite a show in the relay. The Wildcats also won the JV heat. Erik Seicean, Jack Johannessen, Cormac Nolan, and Vincent Elmore combined for a mark of 1:45.25.
The men of Ohio City kept rolling in the 800 free relay. Michael Bednar, Thomas McIntyre, Brendan Kiskorna, and Joe Richmond endured the marathon event, and were rewarded with a gold medal at the end. The young team clipped a time of 7:26.00
Some familiar names worked together in the 4x100 IM relay. Zach Toothman, Kian Carmichael, Robert Gavigan, and Sam Hessler busted out a time of 3:51.16, good enough for the top slot in the event.
The 200 butterfly relay turned out first-place marks in both the varsity and JV runnings of the race. The veteran quartet of Nolan, Johnson, Cam Marcie, and Richmond took care of business in style, firing off a time of 1:37.18. Luke Slabe, Karter Vig, Brice Cerar, and McIntyre cupped a time of 1:52.55 in the JV heat.
The Wildcats shattered another ceiling in the 200 free relay. Will Van de Walle, Micah Murtha, Thomas Metz, and John Soeder framed a time of 1:27.22 – that's very good. The JV relay also did quite well, with Benjamin Stavar, Vincent Elmore, Johannessen, and Kiskorna brushing a mark of 1:37.72 for the top time.
Three juniors and a senior combined for a winning time in the 400 medley relay. Hong, Toothman, Richmond, and Marcie cemented a time of 3:38.71, rolling to first place.
The third of three meet records to fall was the 200 backstroke relay. Hong, Hessler, Seicean and Soeder – a member of each class – tore through the water like men possessed. The loaded squad earned a time of 1:37.98, penning themselves onto the top of the heat sheet for next year. The quartet of Bednar, Slabe, Kiskorna, and Stavar also did their jobs, winning the JV heat with a time of 1:57.08.
Two more wins came in the 200 breaststroke relay. Gavigan, Carmichael, Johannessen, and Toothman recorded a time of 1:57.04, besting the field. Cerar, Elmore, Vig, and Stavar tallied a time of 2:08.91.
To finish things off with the 400 free relay, the squad of Marcie, Murtha, Metz, and Van de Walle finished in, you guessed it, first place. The dynamic team carded a time of 3:18.47 for the top spot.
After New Year's, the Wildcats are back in the pool on Friday. The men of Ohio City will host St. Edward in a 7 pm dual meet. The Wildcats would love to have your support – we'll see you at Cleveland State's Busbey Natatorium for a rivalry match.