Thursday Results (PDF)


CANTON, Ohio – Three programs crowned their very first event winners to highlight what was an exciting second day of the Great Midwest/Mountain East Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday. 
 
Malone (women’s 400 IM), Davis & Elkins (men’s 200 freestyle and Hillsdale (women’s 400 medley relay), all celebrated their first conference champs at the awards podium.  
 
Defending team champion Findlay separated itself further from the pack in the team scoring, with both Oilers’ men’s and women’s program extending their respective leads with 11 events completed. 
 
Tiffin had another impressive showing in the water as freshman Miguel Garcia Arroyo continued to play a starring role and Diamond Boyer won the first women’s diving event of the four-day meet. 
 
Appropriately on Valentine’s Day, student-athletes were showing their teammates the love as the decibel levels from the crowd noise rose to what felt like record highs inside C.T. Branin Natatorium. 
 
The atmosphere contributed to some exciting finishes, including sophomore Kaila Butterworth from host Malone. She was the Pioneers’ first conference champ in the 400 IM by less than half a second. 
 
An exhausted Butterworth gave it her all in the pool and touched the wall in 4:37.01, just hours after swimming in the prelims.  
 
In similar fashion, D&E sophomore Pedro Gaspar, last year’s Great Midwest Freshman of the Year, triumphed with an impressive win in the 200 yard free with the third-fastest time in conference history. 
 
Gaspar beat out multiple conference champs that have already medaled on Day 1, including WV Wesleyan’s Arthur Assfeld and Tiffin’s Nick De Robles. 
 
Hillsdale closed the evening with a combined team victory in the 400-yard medley relay. The foursome of Katherine Heeres, Anika Ellingson, Catherine Voisin and Suzanne De Tar, each represented the Chargers first conference champs. 
 
Findlay’s dominance was on display in the 200 freestyle relays with both men’s and women’s teams sweeping. Garcia Arroyo won both the 400 IM and 100 butterfly, giving him three event wins in just two days. 
 
The Dragons also held off Findlay in the 400-yard medley relay. Findlay’s Katy Kouvaris was the winner in the 100 butterfly, edging out some of her own teammates and another strong showing by Malone’s Denise Quentin (runner-up in 200 IM on Wednesday). 
 
Day three of the G-MAC/MEC Championships resumes on Friday morning with preliminary competition starting at 10 a.m.