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Aqua Cats Earn 6th at Northeast Classic

By Joe Ginley '12 , 01/14/19, 4:45PM EST

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Amongst top competition in the state on Saturday, the Wildcats performed well.

The Saint Ignatius varsity swimming and diving team earned sixth place at the Northeast Classic at the University of Akron. Along the way, the Aqua Cats recorded a number of top-five finishes.

One of the best highlights occurred in the 200 medley relay, one of the three Wildcats' relay teams to score. Tyler Hong, Nicky Hong, Joe Richmond, and John Soeder combined for a time of 1:37.21 in the 200 medley, snatching a fourth-place time. 

The Wildcats also repped well in the 400 free relay. Soeder, Richmond, Tyler Hong, and Micah Murtha tabbed a time of 3:20.13, good enough for eighth place. Familiar faces surfaced again the 200 free relay to lead the Wildcats to 14th. Murtha, Thomas Metz, William Van de Walle, and Nicky Hong touched in at 1:32.10. 

In the individual events, Tyler Hong claimed the lone gold of the day. The sophomore claimed first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.97. Tyler Hong also performed well in the 100 fly, clocking in at 51.24. His older brother, Nicky, also placed 24th with a time of 55.87. Nicky Hong also made an apperance in the 100 breaststroke, staking sixth with a time of 59.23. Robert Gavigan placed in the event, too, with a mark of 1:04.50for 21st. 

The Hong's were not only the Wildcats to excel. Zach Toothman enjoyed a nice day with a 12th place finish in the 200 IM, swimming the race in 2:00.80. Richmond, a fellow junior, trailed him in 24th with a time of 2:07.07.

In the speedy 50 free, two Wildcats placed. Soeder tapped in at 22.45 for 14th, while Murtha followed just milliseconds later at 22.60 for 22nd. Richmond notched the final individual placement of the day, recording a time of 4:54.17 in the 500 free for 10th place.

In the diving portion, two familiar Wildcats scored big. In an 11-dive format, Will Claus conquered much of the competition with a fourth-place score of 441.35. Noah Keim also scored big, placing 16th with a final tally of 232.20.

Following the great effort this past weekend, the Wildcats will hit the road next weekend. The team will take part in the National Catholic Championships in Loyola, Maryland. The Aqua Cats have participated in the prestigious event in the last two years, and look to perform well in the two-day festivities again in 2019.