ST. PETERS, Mo. – The McKendree University men's swimming and diving team picked up two impressive dual meet wins over nationally-prominent programs here Saturday at the St. Peters Rec Plex as the Bearcats picked up a 194-101 win over Drury University and a 178-120 win over Lindenwood University.
 
Drury is the reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference champion and the 2020-21 NCAA Division II National Runners-up, while Lindenwood was third at the 2021 GLVC Championships and fifth at the 2020-21 NCAA Division II National Championships. During the 2020-21 season, McKendree placed fourth at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
 
In Saturday's double dual meet hosted by Lindenwood, the Bearcats won 11 of the 16 events, including winning both of the relays that were held – 400 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay. In addition, the Bearcat men also turned in five 'B' qualifying times. In addition, Drury did not win a swimming event against the Bearcats as McKendree went 15-for-16 against the Panthers. 
 
At the meet, graduate student Xander Skinner (Namibia, Africa/Windhoek Afrikaans Private School) took home four event wins as he was the anchor leg on McKendree's winning 400 medley relay team that recorded a time of 3:18.45 and was the first leg of the winning 200 freestyle relay team that turned in an NCAA 'B' time of 1:21.01. In addition to his two relay team wins, Skinner also took home first place in both the 200 freestyle (1:39.16) and 100 freestyle (44.51). Both of those times in the individual freestyle events were 'B' qualifying times.
 
Along with Skinner, two other Bearcats won three events – senior Gregg Lichinsky (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) and sophomore Filipe Pinheiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Ao Cubo).
 
Lichinsky was the third leg on the winning 400 medley relay team and was the anchor leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay and won the 50 freestyle in a time of 20.70, while Pinheiro was the second leg of the winning 400 medley relay team and won both the 100 breaststroke with a 'B' qualifying time of 55.13 and was first in the 200 breaststroke (2:01.14).
 
Other multiple event winners for the Bearcat men included junior DaVante Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Queens College) and freshman Jackson Lustig (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI).
 
Carey was the lead leg on the winning 400 medley relay team and he came in first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.59, while Lustig claimed individual wins in the 200 butterfly (1:48.03) and 100 butterfly (49.54). Lustig's time in the 200 butterfly was a 'B' qualifying time.
 
Other event winners for the Bearcats included freshman Filip Cigic (Zagreb, Croatia/Sportska Gimnazija) winning the 1,000 freestyle in a time of 9:44.50.
 
Along with winning 11 of the 16 events, McKendree also placed first and second in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. In the 50 freestyle, Lichinsky placed first and junior Caleb Law (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service) was second with a time 20.89, while Lustig (49:54) and Lichinsky (49:65) went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly.
 
Law and Taras Zherebetskyy (Alghero, Italy/ITS "Angelo Roth") were the other members of McKendree's winning 200 freestyle relay team.

The Bearcats will return to the pool this coming weekend (Oct. 22-23) as they host the Saint Louis University and Truman State in a double dual meet on Oct. 22 beginning at 1 p,m. at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex Pool in O'Fallon, Ill., before hosting a double dual on Oct. 23 beginning at 12 p.m. against both Delta State University and Missouri S&T.
 
Here are the individual results from the Lindenwood/Drury Dual Meet
400 Medley Relay
1. McKendree 'A' – 3:18.45 – Carey, Pinheiro, Lichinsky, Skinner
4. McKendree 'B' – 3:27.12 – Patryk Rozenek, Ethan Hanson, Lustig, Zherebetskyy
6. McKendree 'C' – 3:29.53 – Gavin Wagner, Garrett Schrock, Nick Khatkovyy, Law
10. McKendree 'D' – 3:40.29 – Colton Grimes, Macoy Neinas, Noah Javens, Owen Brubaker

1,000 Freestyle
1. Cigic, 9:44.50
3. Charlie Fraser-Allen, 9:49.89

200 Freestyle
1. Skinner, 1:39.16 ('B' Time)
3. Leo Gandaria-Hernandez, 1:42.74
4. Arthur Souza, 1:42.92
5. Alireza Yavari, 1:43.27
18. Zherebetskyy, 1:49.99
20. Noah Fishel, 1:50.67

100 Backstroke
1. Carey, 49.59
4. Rozenek, 51.44
8. Wagner, 53.69
13. Grimes, 55.52
14. Robert Ross, 56.15
15. Brubaker, 57.74

100 Breaststoke
1. Pinheiro, 55.13 ('B' Time)
4. Schrock, 58.82
9. Hanson, 1:01.13
16. Neinas, 1:05.20

200 Butterfly
1. Lustig, 1:48.03 ('B' Time)
4. John Bodden, 1:57.93
8.  Khatkovyy, 1:59.40
9.  Javens, 2:01.68

50 Freestyle
1. Lichinsky, 20.70
2. Law, 20.89
7. Yavari, 21.74
 8. Souza, 21.76

1-Meter Diving
3. Ethan Larson, 260.45
8. Kenneth Glidden, 119.40

100 Freestyle
1. Skinner, 44.51
6. Law, 47.53
7. Souza, 47.62
8. Zherebetskyy, 47.74
11. Khatkovyy, 48.28
19. Brubaker, 50.39
20. Fishel, 50.46

200 Backstroke
2. Rozenek, 1:53.25
8. Wagner, 1:59.95

200 Breaststroke
1. Pinheiro, 2:01.14
4. Schrock, 2:10.23
8. Hanson, 2:14.41

500 Freestyle
3. Cignic, 4:42.16
4. Fraser-Allen, 4:46.88
6. Gandaria-Hernandez, 4:48.34
7. Javens, 4:48.39
15. Bodden, 5:10.72

100 Butterfly
1. Lustig, 49.54
2. Lichinsky, 49.65
5. Yavari, 50.37
9. Khatkovyy, 52.17
14. Rozenek, 53.02

3-Meter Diving
4. Larson, 266.65

200 IM
2. Lustig, 1:53.84
3. Pinheiro, 1:54.66
7. Schrock, 1:57.08
17. Cignic, 2:02.19
19. Neinas, 2:05.54

200 Freestyle Relay
1. McKendree 'A' – 1:21.01 ('B' Time) – Skinner, Law, Zherebetskyy, Lichinsky
4. McKendree 'B' – 1:24.99 – Carey, Souza, Yavari, Javens
6. McKendree 'C' – 1:28.15 – Fishel, Ross, Brubaker, Gandaria-Hernandez
10. McKendree 'D' – 1:30.24 – Grimes, Wagner, Fraser-Allen, Bodden