No. 19 Men's Swim/Dive Strikes for Three More Gold Medals, Maintains Lead at MIAA Championships

The No. 19 Hope College men's swimming and diving team maintained its lead over the field at the MIAA Championships on Friday evening, winning three events during the third day of competition at the Holland Aquatic Center.

Seeking their first title since 2022, the Flying Dutchmen hold a lead of 50.5 points over No. 12 Calvin University with six events remaining. The Knights, winners of the last three league meets, outscored Hope by three points during Friday's finals to set up a dramatic last day of competition.

The Flying Dutchmen's lead stabilized in the final event of the evening – 3-meter diving. After the swimming events, Hope led Calvin by just a half-point, 762.5-762. However, strong showings by Hope's divers – four of which qualified for the evening finals – allowed the Flying Dutchmen to grab crucial points and increase the margin of their lead heading into the meet's final day.

Sophomore Luke Wyrick (Glen Ellyn, Illinois / Glenbard West) triumphed in the 400 individual medley, while junior Graham Eisenmann (Ozark, Missouri / Ozark) won the 100 butterfly as each swimmer captured their first career MIAA title.

Sophomore Luke Newcomb (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton) was also victorious, repeating as the MIAA champion in the 100 breaststroke.

After 14 events, Hope leads the field with 828.5 points, while Calvin has a score of 778. Kalamazoo College (317), Albion College (273) and Alma College (262.5) are in a battle for third place, while the University of Olivet is sixth.

The 200 medley relay team of Jack Szuba (Farmington Hills, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central), Newcomb, junior Nick Suranyi (Novi, Michigan / Novi) and sophomore George Marsh (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Seaholm) opened the evening with a second-place finish before Hope won three of the next four events.

In the 400 IM, Wyrick's winning time of 4:00.22 was the third fastest in school history. Hope took four of the top five positions in the event, as 2025 MIAA champion and junior Alex Pierce (Oswego, Illinois / Oswego) placed second. Sophomore Tyler Houpt (Mason, Ohio / William Mason) and sophomore Joe Engle (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) finished fourth and fifth.

In the 100 fly, Eisenmann posted a season-best 48.07 and defeated the field by nearly a full second. Eisenmann now owns the second fastest time in school history. Suranyi added a fourth-place showing, matching his preliminary time of 50.18.

Newcomb battled his way to repeat as the champion in 100 breaststroke, fending off a pair of Calvin swimmers. He touched the wall in 54.92, just over four-tenths of a second ahead of the two Knights. Juniors Christian Hoeksema (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) and Josh Bordovsky (Herndon, Virginia / South Lakes) placed fourth and sixth, respectively.

Hope qualified five swimmers for the 200 freestyle championship final. Freshman Everett Cox (Sugar Land, Texas / Logos Prep), who finished third in the event last year, took second with a personal-best 1:38.26 – the second fastest 200 in school history.

Freshman Hunter Latham (Lake Stevens, Washington / Lake Stevens) touched third in the 200 free with a time of 1:39.71, a mark that ranks fifth in program history. Freshman Nolan Smith (Buffalo Grove, Illinois / Buffalo Grove), sophomore Blake Hetherington (Jackson, Michigan / Lumen Christi) and senior Henry Booker (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) placed fifth through seventh.

In the 100 backstroke, Szuba posted a time of 50.80 to tie for third and record the fifth-fastest time in school history. Junior John McHugh (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton) won the consolation final.

In diving, freshman Finn Sanders (Wyoming, Michigan / Grandville) posted an NCAA regional qualifying score in the morning preliminaries on the 3-meter board and was one of four Hope divers to advance to the evening finals. He finished third overall, while senior Justin Romero (Detroit, Michigan / Woodhaven) and junior Max Reed (Fairfield, Ohio / Fairfield) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

The MIAA Championships, sponsored by Collegiate Credit Union, conclude Saturday at the Holland Aquatic Center, with preliminaries starting at 10 a.m. and finals beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at the door beginning 1 hour before each session.

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Players Mentioned

Henry Booker: Senior; Psychology

Josh Bordovsky: Junior; Mathematics

Everett Cox: Sophomore

Graham Eisenmann: Junior; Mathematics

Joe Engle: Sophomore

Blake Hetherington: Sophomore

Christian Hoeksema: Junior

Tyler Houpt: Sophomore; Nursing

George Marsh: Sophomore

John McHugh: Junior; Exercise Science

Players Mentioned

Henry Booker
: Senior; Psychology

Josh Bordovsky
: Junior; Mathematics

Everett Cox
: Sophomore

Graham Eisenmann
: Junior; Mathematics

Joe Engle
: Sophomore

Blake Hetherington
: Sophomore

Christian Hoeksema
: Junior

Tyler Houpt
: Sophomore; Nursing

George Marsh
: Sophomore

John McHugh
: Junior; Exercise Science