INDIANAPOLIS – Teams around the league have started making a splash in the pool as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Athletes of the Week awards started Wednesday.
For some, competition started as early as September 28, and others were able to make their season debuts in the past week.
Findlay’s women surfaced in the CSCAA Coaches National Poll at No. 23 after the Oilers ended 2018 ranked 25th in Division II. Findlay’s men and women are aiming to repeat their dominance at the inaugural Great Midwest/Mountain East Conference Championships last year.
The combined meet with the help from both conferences will once again be held in C.T. Branin Natatorium and hosted by Malone over a four-day stretch.
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Jonah Sumfleth
Tiffin
Junior
Hamburg, Germany
Sumfleth approached the NCAA “B” qualifying standard in three different events as the Dragons opened their new Great Midwest era against Wayne State, Urbana and Davis & Elkins.
His first event was the 50-yard freestyle, where he finished fourth with a time of 22.22, less than two seconds shy of the 20.75 “B” benchmark for 2018-19.
Against Davis & Elkins, Sumfleth impressed in the 200 IM with a winning time of 1:57.14, not far from the “B” time of 1:51.45.
Another event the junior German shined was the 100 freestyle while beating out swimmers from D&E and Urbana. His time was clocked at 48.20, less than three seconds of the “B” standard of 45.52.
Sumfleth also helped Tiffin to a runner-up placing in the 400-medley relay, swimming the first leg for a total time of 3:32.02. Versus D&E, Sumfleth was the first swimmer again in the 200 medley relay as the Dragons won with a time of 1:41.65.
Sumfleth was CSCAA Honorable Mention Scholar All-American last season for Tiffin.
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Kendra Polewski
#23 Findlay
Lakeshore, Ontario (St. Anne Catholic HS)
In either the men or women’s competition, Polewski is the lone swimmer from the Great Midwest to hit an NCAA qualifying standard at this stage of the season.
And to do it as a first-year student-athlete makes her accomplishments this early that much more impressive.
The nationally-ranked Oilers competed against UIndy and Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, on Friday.
Polewski won the 200-yard freestyle event with a time 1:52.36, eclipsing the NCAA “B” standard of 1:53.55 and is currently ranked third across Division II. Both swimmers ahead of her are from UCSD (California San Diego).
The rookie is also ranked 11th nationally in the 500 freestyle and less than a second away from breaking into the top 10.
She is very close to reaching the “B” standard after winning the event over UIndy and DI Toledo competitors with a time of 5:07.14