AKRON – Coming into the weekend, junior David Hawk simply wanted to "break a record or two" and place in the top three in a couple of events. He exceeded those goals, by a lot.
When the splashing in the pool settled, Hawk (Edison, OH/Mount Gilead) became the first Wilmington College swimmer to claim three individual Ohio Athletic Conference championships in one league meet. He finished the OAC triple by winning the 100-yard freestyle Saturday in 45.97 seconds. He won the 50-yard freestyle Friday and the 200-yard freestyle on Saturday. Coming into this weekend's meet, sixth was the highest finish in any event for Hawk.
"It's an unreal feeling," said Hawk. "I never would have expected it."
With two titles already tucked into his speedo, Hawk knew he was marked man heading into Saturday's 100.
"I just wanted to be positive and give everything I had," said Hawk. "I knew all the guys would be gunning for me, and I had to give everything I had left in my tank."
The only loss for Hawk came in the Swimmer of the Year voting. Mount Union's Tyler Moore also won three events, but registered two national cuts to earn the award.
"David had an incredible week," said Wilmington head coach Trip Breen. "We won the three most competitive events at any college swim meet. The margin of victories is so small."
As a team, the Wilmington men's swimming team was third with 483.5 points in the six-team meet. The men's staff earned OAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the third straight year.
Senior Mason Harris (Westerville, OH/Central) didn't allow Hawk to bring home all of the hardware as he claimed the OAC championship in the mile (16:25.89). In dominating the event, winning by almost an entire length of the pool, Harris established school records in the 1000 and the mile.
"I am so proud of Mason," said Breen. "He has improved so much over his four years, and it's a testament to his work ethic in the weight room, the pool and in practice. I am so thrilled that he won an OAC championship."
Sophomore David Spraul (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton) earned All-OAC again with another second-place finish, this time in the 200 backstroke (1:54.68). It was his personal best time in the event. Freshman Wyatt Henderson (Baltimore, OH/Liberty Union) was fourth in the 200 butterfly.
The quartet of Anton Blomquist (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna), Jason Prible (Bluffton, IN/Bluffton), Harris and Hawk placed fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a school record time of 3:11.22.
Other swimmers to score were Prible (100 freestyle), Blomquist (100 freestyle), Erik Spraul (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton; 100 freestyle), Cody Nash (Fresno, CA/Kingsbury; 200 breaststroke), Grant Barnhorst (Marysville, OH/Marysville; 200 breaststroke), Eric Balash (Canton, OH/Glen Oak; 200 breaststroke) and David Bellus (Upper Marlboro, MD/Northmont; 200 butterfly).