Swimmers compete in league championships

By Laura White

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams closed out the Horizon League Championships Saturday at the Flames Natatorium with third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

Melanie Waszak won the title of Swimmer of the Meet, Whitney Johnson was named Diver of the Meet and Veronica Gibson came away with the Newcomer of the Year award.

Head coach Paul Moniak and diving coach Susan Bromberg both received Women’s Coach of the Year awards.

The men’s team finished the tournament with two school records from Brian Sivak and Christian Grobe, and two first-place finishes from Joel Demuth and the 400 free relay team.

In the 200 back prelims, Sivak produced a time of 1:50.20 for a school record. He finished sixth in the final with 1:50.75.

In the 200 breast, Grobe paced the Flames for a third-place finish, while breaking a school record with a time of 2:00.82.

Waszak’s Horizon League honors were bestowed after she took first in all of her individual events, through prelims and finals, and was a member of three winning relay teams. She set school records in the 500 free, 200 free and 200 fly, and broke her own Horizon League and championships record in the 200 free with an NCAA B qualifying time.

Johnson scored a 299.00 in the 3-meter board for first place before setting a Horizon League Championships record with her score of 296.95 on the 1-meter board.

Gibson was named Newcomer of the Year after capturing first place 15 times during the regular season.