Men's Swim/Dive Cruises to First Place at Michigan/Illinois Quad

Junior Conor East, pictured.

The 17th-ranked Hope College men's swimming and diving team delivered a dominating performance en route to a first-place effort at the Michigan/Illinois Quad hosted by Kalamazoo College on Saturday.

Buoyed by six winning events and 639 total points, the Flying Dutchmen finished 124 points ahead of runner-up Wheaton College (Ill.). Kalamazoo placed third with 450 points. Lake Forest College (Ill.) was fourth with 322.

Hope went 1-2-3 in the 200-yard butterfly.

Sophomore Alex Boersema (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa HS) posted a winning time of 2 minutes, 2.11 seconds. Senior JT Nissen (Spring, Texas / Klein Collins) touched the wall runner-up at 2:03.98. Sophomore Joel Cummins (Osceola, Indiana / Penn) was third at 2:04.30. Senior Ted Lockett (Mason, Ohio / St. Xavier) did not score but took fourth at 2:05.72.

The Flying Dutchmen clocked the two fastest times in the 500 freestyle: senior Bailey Smith (Battle Creek, Michigan / Lakeview) in first at 4:55.23 and freshman Bishop Carl (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore) in second at 4:57.20.

Hope recorded three of the top swims in the 200-yard freestyle.

Sophomore Conner Halberg (Novi, Michigan / Northville) clocked a first-place swim of 1: 43.85. Smith placed third at 1:48.53. Sophomore Colin Kalkman (Zeeland, Michigan / Holland Christian) was fifth at 1:49.67.

In the 100 freestyle, junior Conor East (Farmington Hills, Michigan / North Farmington) won with a swim of 48.51 seconds. Junior Ben DuBay (Omaha, Nebraska, Millard West) and Carl tied fourth at 50.03.

The Flying Dutchmen closed the meet by taking first in the 400 freestyle relay. Sophomore Cooper Osgood (Saline, Michigan / Saline) teamed with Cummis, Halberg and Boersema) for a first-place time of 3:12.32.

Junior Ewan Tiongson (Portage, Michigan / Portage Northern) recorded the top 1-meter diving performance wth an an NCAA regional-qualifying score of 427.75 points. Freshman Justin Romero (Detroit, Michigan / Woodhaven) placed third at 395.80. Junior Joey Gillengerten (East Lansing, Michigan / Haslett) was fifth at 308.65.

Hope posted runner-up swims in six events.

In the 1,000 freestyle, sophomore Joey Grasman (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) finished second by three-tenths of a second at 10:23.49.

In the 50 freestyle, Osgood placed runner-up at 22.53. Nissen and Boersema tied for fourth at 22.59.

In the 200 IM, East clocked a second-place swim of 1:59.60. Lockett was fifth at 2:04.13.

In the 200 breaststroke, sophomore Dallas Fisher (Highland, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) recorded a runner-up time of 2:17.39. East took third at 2:17.50. Junior Reilly LaGrand (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Catholic Central) was fourth at 2:17.92.

In the 400 medley relay, Fisher, sophomore Christian Dunaitis (Commerce Township, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central), Kalkman and Halberg went 3:33.58 for second place.

In 3-meter diving, Tiongson finished runner-up with a total of 247.45 points. Romero took fourth at 208.65.

Freshman Samuel Albrecht (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison) clocked a third-swim, 200 backstroke swim of 2:01.65.

Hope's next meet is Friday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m. at Holland Aquatic Center vs. Kalamazoo College and Olivet College.

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