Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 4
Jones Natatorium
11 a.m./7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
MAC Championships
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Records Fall on Day Three of MAC Championships
3/4/2016 6:43:00 PM | M. Swim & Dive
Two individual champions highlighted EMU's record-breaking day
Complete Results (PDF)
Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Two Eagles were crowned Mid-American Conference Champions Friday, March 4, as the Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team extended it's lead in the team standings. In addition to the pair of event wins, the Green and White turned in six top-five finishes.
Eastern sits atop the standings with 528 points while Missouri State University (439) and the University at Buffalo (404) round out the top three.
Junior Kyle Lichtenberg (Clarkston, Mich.) opened the session with a sixth-place finish in the 400 Individual Medley. Hours after turning in a personal-best time of 3:55.12, Lichtenberg touched in at 3:55.09, finishing just ahead of a pair of Missouri State swimmers. The Clarkston, Mich. native's championship time not only marked a career-best, it also ranks ninth all-time in program history.
Behind four times ranking in Eastern Michigan's top-six all-time, the Eagles claimed fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, in the 100 Butterfly. Senior Krzysztof Gilski (Dywity, Poland-Adam Mickiewicz Secondary School) bested his own school record, touching in with a NCAA 'B' cut time of 47.71. Fellow senior Erik Gissen (Karlstad, Sweden-Alvkullegymnasiet) claimed fifth, clocking in on the heels of Gilski with a career-best 48.10 while sophomores Logan Burton (Chesapeake, Va.-Hickory) and Connor Johnson (Fort Bragg, N.C.-Terry Sanford) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
The Eagles then placed three inside the top-eight in the 200 Freestyle, highlighted by a championship performance by senior Andrew Henry (Garner, N.C.-West Johnston). After being out-touched by Southern Illinois' Till Pallmann in last season's race, Henry returned the favor this season. Shattering pool, meet, and conference records, Henry clocked in with a scorching time of 1:34.99 to earn the first MAC individual title of his career. Freshman Jake Tyson (Ypsilanti, Northgate) placed third, just behind Pallmann while fellow freshman JF Murphy (Montreal, Quebec-Sainte Anne) wrapped up an eighth-place finish.
Following a fourth-place finish by junior Kyle Aerne (Lake Villa, Ill.-Lakes) in the 100 Breaststroke, Eastern crowned it's third individual MAC Champion of the week in the final individual race of the evening. Turning in a coveted one-two punch, junior Cole Bateman (Hutchinson, Minn.-Hutchinson) bested the field with a time of 48.20. Leading the field, Bateman became the first Eagle to win the event since 2013 when Jacob Hanson claimed his third consecutive MAC title. Gissen finished runner-up, clocking in roughly five tenths of a second behind Bateman with a career-best time of 48.68. Burton's fifth-place finish was followed by a seventh-place finish by freshman Tosh Kawaguchi (Cary, N.C.-Cary), increasing EMU's lead in the team standings.
Bateman, Aerne, Gissen, and Henry closed out the session, making up EMU's 400 Medley Relay team. A strong opening leg by Bateman left the Eagles in a three-way race for first down the stretch with Aerne and Gissen keeping pace with team's from SIU and Buffalo. Taking over with his team in third, Henry pulled into second, ahead of Buffalo with 25 meters to go. A late surge by Henry secured a second-place finish for the Green and White but the photo finish left the Eagles less than a tenth of a second shy of the title.
With an 89-point lead in the team standings, the Eagles will close out the conference meet tomorrow, March 5, with hopes of locking up their 33rd MAC Championship. The final day begins with prelims at 11 a.m. before the championship heats get underway beginning at 5:20 p.m. with the 1650 Freestyle.
Team Standings (through day three)
1. Eastern Michigan, 528
2. Missouri State, 439
3. Buffalo, 404
4. Southern Illinois, 344
5. Miami, 308
6. Evansville, 116
7. Ball State, 112
EMU Individual Results
* Denotes season-best
# Denotes career-best
B Denotes NCAA 'B' cut
$ Denote school record
M Denotes MAC record
m Denotes meet record
P Denote pool record
400 IM
Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Two Eagles were crowned Mid-American Conference Champions Friday, March 4, as the Eastern Michigan University men's swimming and diving team extended it's lead in the team standings. In addition to the pair of event wins, the Green and White turned in six top-five finishes.
Eastern sits atop the standings with 528 points while Missouri State University (439) and the University at Buffalo (404) round out the top three.
Junior Kyle Lichtenberg (Clarkston, Mich.) opened the session with a sixth-place finish in the 400 Individual Medley. Hours after turning in a personal-best time of 3:55.12, Lichtenberg touched in at 3:55.09, finishing just ahead of a pair of Missouri State swimmers. The Clarkston, Mich. native's championship time not only marked a career-best, it also ranks ninth all-time in program history.
Behind four times ranking in Eastern Michigan's top-six all-time, the Eagles claimed fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, in the 100 Butterfly. Senior Krzysztof Gilski (Dywity, Poland-Adam Mickiewicz Secondary School) bested his own school record, touching in with a NCAA 'B' cut time of 47.71. Fellow senior Erik Gissen (Karlstad, Sweden-Alvkullegymnasiet) claimed fifth, clocking in on the heels of Gilski with a career-best 48.10 while sophomores Logan Burton (Chesapeake, Va.-Hickory) and Connor Johnson (Fort Bragg, N.C.-Terry Sanford) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
The Eagles then placed three inside the top-eight in the 200 Freestyle, highlighted by a championship performance by senior Andrew Henry (Garner, N.C.-West Johnston). After being out-touched by Southern Illinois' Till Pallmann in last season's race, Henry returned the favor this season. Shattering pool, meet, and conference records, Henry clocked in with a scorching time of 1:34.99 to earn the first MAC individual title of his career. Freshman Jake Tyson (Ypsilanti, Northgate) placed third, just behind Pallmann while fellow freshman JF Murphy (Montreal, Quebec-Sainte Anne) wrapped up an eighth-place finish.
Following a fourth-place finish by junior Kyle Aerne (Lake Villa, Ill.-Lakes) in the 100 Breaststroke, Eastern crowned it's third individual MAC Champion of the week in the final individual race of the evening. Turning in a coveted one-two punch, junior Cole Bateman (Hutchinson, Minn.-Hutchinson) bested the field with a time of 48.20. Leading the field, Bateman became the first Eagle to win the event since 2013 when Jacob Hanson claimed his third consecutive MAC title. Gissen finished runner-up, clocking in roughly five tenths of a second behind Bateman with a career-best time of 48.68. Burton's fifth-place finish was followed by a seventh-place finish by freshman Tosh Kawaguchi (Cary, N.C.-Cary), increasing EMU's lead in the team standings.
Bateman, Aerne, Gissen, and Henry closed out the session, making up EMU's 400 Medley Relay team. A strong opening leg by Bateman left the Eagles in a three-way race for first down the stretch with Aerne and Gissen keeping pace with team's from SIU and Buffalo. Taking over with his team in third, Henry pulled into second, ahead of Buffalo with 25 meters to go. A late surge by Henry secured a second-place finish for the Green and White but the photo finish left the Eagles less than a tenth of a second shy of the title.
With an 89-point lead in the team standings, the Eagles will close out the conference meet tomorrow, March 5, with hopes of locking up their 33rd MAC Championship. The final day begins with prelims at 11 a.m. before the championship heats get underway beginning at 5:20 p.m. with the 1650 Freestyle.
Team Standings (through day three)
1. Eastern Michigan, 528
2. Missouri State, 439
3. Buffalo, 404
4. Southern Illinois, 344
5. Miami, 308
6. Evansville, 116
7. Ball State, 112
EMU Individual Results
* Denotes season-best
# Denotes career-best
B Denotes NCAA 'B' cut
$ Denote school record
M Denotes MAC record
m Denotes meet record
P Denote pool record
400 IM
6. Kyle Lichtenberg 3:55.09
12. Tosh Kawaguchi 3:57.16
12. Tosh Kawaguchi 3:57.16
100 Fly
7. Connor Johnson 48.82 #
200 Free
1. Andrew Henry 1:34.99 #BMmP
3. Jake Tyson 1:35.57 #
8. Jean Francois Murphy 1:39.28
100 Breast
100 Breast
4. Kyle Aerne 54.63 B
10. Chris Hodges 55.13 B
10. Chris Hodges 55.13 B
100 Back
1. Cole Bateman 48.20 B
2. Erik Gissen 48.68 #
5. Logan Burton 48.97
7. Tosh Kawaguchi 49.52
9. Ricky Perez 49.42 #
14. Erik Brinkhoff 50.68
Players Mentioned
Breast/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/Fly/Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Breast
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Back/IM
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
Free
/ M. Swim & Dive
/ M. Swim & Dive
Fly
/ M. Swim & DiveEastern Michigan Head Coach Peter Linn
Monday, June 04
Day 3 Recap: 2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
Saturday, March 12
2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Champions: Eastern Michigan
Saturday, March 12
Day 1 Recap: 2016 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
Saturday, March 12