COMPLETE RESULTS

            (Akron, Oh.): Clarion's Joseph Ward (So. Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop), Jon Kofmehl (Sr. Johnstown/Richland), Derek Nelson (Fr. Mt. Joy/Donegal) and Logan Pearsall (Sr. Port Allegany) had strong performances in leading the Clarion Men's Swimming and Diving Team to a fourth place finish at the Zippy Invitational.

 

            Held Friday through Sunday at the Ocasek Natatorium in Akron, Ohio, Division I Buffalo was first with 1,626 points, Xavier was second with 1,469.5, St. Bonaventure third with 1,435, Clarion fourth with 1,045 and IUP fifth with 757 points. Eight teams participated in the invitational.

 

            Ward had a very strong individual performance winning the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 20.58 and winning by nearly half a second. He also took first in the 100 free (45.14), the second fastest time in school history behind Ryan Thiel's 44.53 last year, and also was eighth in the 100 backstroke (53.05). He had a 52.60 in prelims. All times were NCAA D-II “B” cut qualifying times.

 

            Kofmehl, a backstroke/IM specialist, was second in the 100 back with a time of 50.86, plus was third in the 200 back with a time of 1:52.59 (1:51.42 in prelims) and fourth in the 200 IM (1:54.63). All times were “B” cut qualifying times.

 

            Nelson, a breaststroke specialist, swam NCAA “B” cut times in the 100 and 200 events. He was first in the 200 with a time of 2:07.84 and second in the 100 with a time of 58.30.

 

            Pearsall, a three-time NCAA Diving Champion, won the 3 meter event scoring 312.70 points, plus was second in 1 meter diving with 289.90 points with competition against D-I and Clarion divers.

 

            Also swimming a “B” cut time was Ben Appleby (So. York/Suburban) who placed second in the 200 freestyle (1:42.69). He also finished fifth in the 500 free (4:45.88).

 

            Also getting high places for the Golden Eagles in the pool were Garet Weston (Sr. Indiana), Jake Campbell (So. Commerce, Mi.), Joe Welch (So. Erie/Strong Vincent), Scott Harvey (Fr. Macungie/Emmaus), Mike Proudfit (Fr. St. Marys/Elk County Catholic) and Casey Dunleavy (So. McMurray/Peters Twp.).

 

            Weston was 7^th in the 200 back (1:56.80) and 11^th in the 500 free (4:48.88).

 

            Campbell's top finish was 9^th in the 400 I.M. (4:15.01), Welch was 13^th in the 100 fly (53.09 – 52.65 in prelims) and Harvey 11^th in the 1650 free (17:01.41).

 

            Proudfit placed 7^th in the 200 breaststroke (2:15.00) and 12^th in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.44) and Dunleavy was 11^th in the 50 free (21.48).

 

            In relays, Ward, Dunleavy, Weston and Appleby were 4^th in the 200 free relay (1:24.66), while Ward, Dunleavy, Kofmehl and Appleby were third in the 400 free (3:07.03). The 800 free relay team of Campbell, Weston, Harvey and Appleby were seventh (7:04.88).

 

            The medley relays show Kofmehl, Nelson, Welch and Ward placing fifth in both the 200 medley (1:34.63) and the 400 medley (3:27.88).

 

            Divers Ethan Merritt (Fr. San Luis, Obispo) and Justin Duncan (Jr. South Park) also had quality performances. Merritt was fourth on 1 meter (253.40) and fifth on 3 meter (293.55). Duncan meanwhile was seventh on 1 meter (235.50) and eighth on 3 meter (203.20).

 

            Eleventh year head coach Mark VanDyke and the Golden Eagles will next be in action in Ft. Lauderdale on their winter Training Trip from Jan. 2-14. The next dual meet is Jan. 22^nd at Edinboro with Gannon and Ashland.