GENEVA, Ohio – The Wilmington College men's swimming team wrapped up its 2020-21 season with a fifth-place finish at the 2021 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by John Carroll University at the SPIRE Institute.
The Fightin' Quakers tallied 265 points as a team, finishing 57 points behind fourth-place Baldwin Wallace University. John Carroll won the championship with 1,020 points while the University of Mount Union had 717 points to finish as runner-up. Ohio Northern University rounded out the standings with a third-place finish and 651 points.
"We are extremely thankful to have the season that we did," Head Coach Trip Breen said. "We appreciate the hard work that the OAC Presidents and athletics directors did to provide us with this opportunity."
Five individuals represented Wilmington in the 200-yard backstroke in Michael Phillippe, Dane Klosterman, Reed Ashcraft, Samuel Wallace and Nicholas Keller. Phillippe (2:02.90), Klosterman (2:05.76), Ashcraft (2:09.96) and Wallace (2:12.79) went second through fifth respectively while Keller (2:39.57) took seventh.
Wilmington had three individuals placed in the consolation finals of the 100-yard freestyle. Cameron Bolen (47.69 seconds), Logan Schroer (49.74 seconds) and Sha'bhir Thompkins (57.87 seconds) took first, sixth and eighth in the event. The Quakers also had three individuals compete in the consolation final of the 200-yard breaststroke. Ian Darras (2:25.48), Noah Arend (2:35.12) and Luke Ruther (2:36.25) took fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Other individual finishes on Saturday include Samuel Shanes taking fifth in the consolation final of the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 18:20.08 and Aaron Polk's mark of 2:14.24 that got him fifth in the consolation final of the 200-yard butterfly.
Wilmington's 400-yard freestyle relay team of Schroer, Shanes, Phillippe and Ashcraft turned in a time of 3:41.25 to take fifth place.
"The team was outstanding, even with a shortened training season and the challenges of COVID, we were able to set numerous team records and had an unbelievable amount of lifetime best performances," Breen said. "It is a testament to their outstanding work ethic and willingness to support each other. I will never forget this season and this amazing group of Wilmington College swimmers."
