CARBONDALE, Ill. – The McKendree University men's swimming and diving team began its 2021-22 dual meet schedule here Friday afternoon by posting a 156.50-141.50 win over NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University-Carbondale at the Shea Natatorium. The win over SIUC was the fourth straight for the Bearcats over the Salukis.
 
In Friday's meet, the Bearcats won 10 of the 16 events swam, including winning both the 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay.
 
Graduate student Xander Skinner (Namibia, Africa/Windhoek Afrikaans Private School), sophomore Filipe Pinheiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Ao Cubo) and freshman Jackson Lustig (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) each won two individual titles as Skinner won the 100 and 200 freestyle, Pinheiro won the 100 and 200 breatstroke and Lustig was first in both the 100 and 200 butterfly. In addition, Skinner was on both of McKendree's winning relay teams, while Pinheiro was on the winning 200 medley relay team.
 
A fourth Bearcat, senior Gregg Lichinsky (West Des Moines, Iowa/West Des Moines Valley) won three events as he was first in the 50 freestyle and was on both of the winning relay teams.
 
The Bearcats got off to a strong start in the meet as took two of the top three spots in the 200 medley relay as they won the event in a time of 1:30.97 and was third with a time of 1:33.03. The members of the winning relay team were junior DaVante Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Queens College), Pinheiro, Lichinsky and Skinner, while the members of the third place team were freshman Patryk Rozenek (Radlin, Poland/Zsoms Raciborz), freshman Ethan Hanson (Houlton, Wis./Holton), Lustig and junior Caleb Law (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service).
 
Cignic won the first individual meet that was contested as he swam to a first place finish in the 1,000 freestyle in a time of 9:47.91. Senior Charlie Fraser-Allen (London, England/Highgate Wood Secondary) was third with a time of 9:54.64.
 
The Bearcats went first, fourth and fifth in the 200 freestyle as Skinner won his first of two individual events as he recorded a time of 1:40.78. Freshman Alireza Yavari (Isfahan, Iran/Shayestegan) was fourth (1:41.73), freshman Leo Gandaria-Hernandez (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield) was fifth (1:42.82).
 
Carey, Rozenek and freshman Gavin Wagner (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) finished second, fourth and fifth in the 100 yard backstroke. Carey recorded a time of 50.48, while Rozenek swam a time of 52.98 and Wagner posted a time of 54.25.
 
Pinheiro would win the next event as he took home first place in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55.95, whole Hanson was fourth with a time of 59.20 and senior Garrett Schrock (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) was fifth with a time of 59.34.
 
Lustig, freshman Nick Khatkovyy (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and senior Noah Javens (West Lafayette, Ind./William Henry Harrison) were first, fourth and fifth respectively in the 200 butterfly as Lustig posted a winning time of 1:47.72.
 
Lichinsky captured the next event as he posted a time of 20.75 to win the 50 freestyle. Law (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service) was third with a time of 20.98 and freshman Arthur Souza (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Colegio Saber) was sixth with a time of 21.84.
 
Senior Ethan Larson (Anchorage, Alaska/PAIDAIE Cooperative) and senior Xavier Flores (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West) went third and fourth in both 1-meter and 3-meter diving as Larson scored 234.90 and 257.48 and Flores scored 205.20 and 154.28 respectively.
 
Skinner won his second individual meet in the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.27 with senior Taras Zherebetskyy (Alghero, Italy/ITS 'Angelo Roth') was fourth with a time of 46.58.
 
Carey, Rozenek and Wagner went third, fourth and fifth in the 200 backstroke with times of 1:57.24, 1:59.06 and 2:00.86 respectively.
 
Pinheiro's second individual win was in the 200 breaststroke as he swam a time of 2:03.50, while Hansen was fourth (2:12.37) and Schrock was seventh (2:14.20).
 
Cignic, Gandaria-Hernandez and Fraser-Allen finished second, third and fifth in the 500 freestyle. Cignic swam a time of 4:44.60, while Gandaria-Hernandez's time was 4:44.98 and Fraser-Allen posted a time of 4:51.57.
 
Lustig led the way for the Bearcats in the 100 butterfly as won the event in a time of 49.38. In addition to Lustig, Lichinsky was second (49.71) and Khatkovyy was fourth (52.35).
 
Pinheiro then would then finish second in the 200 IM with a time of 1:52.88, while Cigic was sixth with a time of 2:00.81.
 
The Bearcats wrapped up the meet by recording two of the top four spots in the 400 freestyle relay as McKendree's 'A' Team recorded a winning time of 3:01.98. The members of the relay team were Skinner, Law, Souza and Lichinsky. The 'B' relay team that consisted of Carey, Zherebetskyy, Gandaria-Hernandez and Yavari was third with a time of 3:07.24.
 
McKendree will return to the pool next Saturday, Oct. 16 as they travel to the St. Peters, Mo., Rec Plex to compete in a tri-meet hosted by Lindenwood University. At the meet, the Bearcats will face both Lindenwood and Drury University.