Men's Swimming and Diving Heading to MAC Championships

The Saluki men's swimming and diving team has worked up to this week all season long and its finally here. The Saluki men will compete in the MAC Swimming and Diving Championships this week starting on Wednesday, Feb. 28 and ending on Saturday March 3.

Media Links

Live Streaming
Finals each night will be streamed on Miamiredhawks.com

Live Results
Live results are available all week through Meet Mobile app. The service requires a subscription.

Swimming Salukis

The men enter this weekend's meet looking for their 12^th Conference title and the first since 2002.

The Salukis will take one swimmer, Senior Joao Facciotti, to the meet that has already won one individual title as well as a host of other looking to win their first MAC title.

Coach Walker's Thoughts

Opening statement

"The guys are ready to go and are tired of waiting. They watched the women rest and then go to their big meet and their still in the process of resting. Usually, they're very eager to get going. It is fortunate because we are actually able to come back and correct some things that we were weaker on and promote those things that we were strong on. That has always worked out pretty well."

There is no pre-championship poll. How do you think the men stack up?

"I see us pretty well set at fourth place. I don't think a Ball State or Evansville catches us. A Miami, who is probably third and the host, is a team that I would see us doing some fighting and battling with. Missouri State and Eastern Michigan are the top two. They're very strong. It would be athletic suicide to pump the guys up and say we can get them. We can get some of them. That will boost our team, but they're realistic enough to know what is in our realm and what is not. Right now Eastern Michigan and Missouri State are just really, really strong. We've got to get in there and focus on our individuals and our team."

How would you like to see the seniors swim in their last conference meet?

"I want to see them swim fast. To the man, they've worked hard. They've earned their time in the spotlight. I appreciate that because after four years it can wear on you. There's a lot of intensity and a lot of grinding. They've done well and given everything they have. I'd like to see them get a result for that."

Top Dawgs

(Conference leading times)

Men's one-meter diving
- Eli Mercado | 340.27

Getting Recognized

Southern has faced MVC teams six times this year. The results from those meeting are as follows.
9/22-23 SIU @ Evansville W, 89-54
10/7 SIU @ Missouri State L, 138-105
2/3 vs. Evansville W, 157-79

Scouting Missouri State

Missouri State leads the Conference in nearly every event. The Bears are led by junior Artur Osvath, a 2016-17 All-American Honorable Mention. Osvath leads the Conference in the 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly and the 200-yard IM. Another Bear, Antonio Thomas, also leads the MAC in a couple of events. He is first in the 500-yard free with a time of 4:24.77 and is tops in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:02.09. Thomas holds the MAC Championships record in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Missouri State also returns Phillip Willett who won the 200-yard backstroke and the 400-yard IM in 2017.

Scouting Eastern Michigan

Eastern Michigan are the defending MAC Champions and the most successful program in Conference history.

While Missouri State has the most top times in the Conference, Eastern Michigan holds all the other top times. Junior Tosh Kawaguchi leads the Conference in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke.

In diving Freshman Al'x Pierre leads the Conference in three-meter diving with a score of 395.71. He is 60^th in the nation in the event.

Scouting Miami (Ohio)

Miami Ohio is hosting this year's MAC Swimming and Diving Championships and have a handful of swimmers with times in the Conference's top-five.

Gordon Wheeler is second in the MAC in the 200-yard freestyle and is third in the 500-yard freestyle. James Wray is in the top-five in the 200-yard back stroke with a time of 1:48.26. In the 100-yard butterfly, Iago Moussalem Amaral is the fourth-fastest in the Conference with a time of 48.74 and in the 400-yard IM, Ross Rybakowicz is fifth with a time of 4:02.54.

Scouting Evansville

Evansville has one swimmers that hold a combined two times in the top-five in the Mid-American Conference. Credence Pattinson is fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.20 and is fifth in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:49.05

Scouting Ball State

Ball State has two times that rank inside the top-10 in the Mid-American Conference. Cullen Tyler is seventh in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:03.84. Ben Andrew is 10^th in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 50.10.

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Players Mentioned

Joao Facciotti

Eli Mercado

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