GREENSBORO, N.C. – For the second consecutive season, the McKendree University men's swimming and diving team will be bringing home the NCAA Fourth Place Trophy as the Bearcats finished in fourth place out of 32 teams at the 2022 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships that wrapped up competition here Saturday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
At this year's NCAA National Championships, the Bearcats scored a total of 310 points to finish 85 points in front of fourth place Florida Southern and 103 points behind third place University of Indianapolis, who scored 413 total points. The Bearcats placed fourth nationally overall despite only having nine individual qualifiers for the championship meet.
"For the second year in a row we are home an NCAA Trophy. These men fought valiantly throughout this season despite numerous challenges and rose to the occasion again on the big stage," McKendree swimming and diving head coach
Jimmy Tierney said. "Special recognition goes to
Xander Skinner who completed his fifth NCAA's for the Bearcats this year and he has garnered more All-American honors and awards than I can count. He has left his mark as a fierce competitor and a tremendous leader."
Queens (N.C.) University repeated as the Division II National Champion as the Royals scored a total of 607.5 points to outdistance national runner-up Drury by 85.5 points as the Panthers scored 522 points to repeat as national runners-up. In fact, the second straight year, the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 finishers all hailed from the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
On Saturday's final day of action, the Bearcats competed in three of the five finals events that were held and they scored a total of 74 points on the day to push their final total to 310 points.
Perhaps the highlight of the final day of the national championships for the Bearcats came in the final event of the meet – 400 freestyle relay. In the 400-freestyle relay, the Bearcats finished with a bronze medal with a time of 2:54.03. The members of the bronze medal winning 400 freestyle relay team were senior
Gregg Lichinsky (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), freshman
Alireza Yavari (Isfahan, Iran/Shayestegan), freshman
Emilio Perez (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield) and fifth-year senior
Xander Skinner (Namibia, Africa/Windhoek Afrikaans Private School).
Queens took home the national title in the 400-freestyle relay with a time of 2:51.55, while Drury finished as the national runner-up with a time of 2:53.53.
The Bearcats began Saturday's evening finals session by finishing fourth and sixth in the championship finals of the 100 freestyle. In the 100 freestyle, Lichinsky recorded a fourth place finish with a time of 42.85, while Skinner was sixth with a time of 43.79 to earn First-Team All-American honors. Lichinsky and Skinner combined to score 28 points in the 100 freestyle. In Saturday's preliminaries, Lichinsky recorded the fastest time of 42.71, while Skinner was seventh with a time of 43.48. A third Bearcat, Perez, finished tied for 25th in the prelims with a time of 44.25.
In the next event, the 200 backstroke, the Bearcats didn't have anyone advance to Saturday's finals following the preliminary round earlier in the day on Saturday as freshman
Patryk Rozenek (Radlin, Poland/Zsoms Raciborz) and junior
DaVante Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Queens College) finished 21st (1:46.72) and 29th (1:50.40) respectively in qualifying.
Sophomore
Filipe Pinheiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Ao Cubo) recorded a fifth place finish in the 200 breaststroke as he recorded a time of 1:57.03 to earn First-Team All-American status.
At the NCAA National Championship Meet, the top eight swimmers in each individual event earn First Team All-American honors, while places 9-16 receive Honorable Mention All-American accolades.
Complete finals results for the Bearcats at the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championships.
Wednesday, March 9 – Day One
200 Medley Relay – 5th – 1:25.71 (Carey, Pinheiro, Lichinsky,
Caleb Law)
50 Freestyle – 9th (1st/Consolation Final) – Lichinsky (19.67)
12th (4th/Consolation Final) – Skinner (19.75)
1-Meter Diving- 10th – Larson (396.00)
200 Freestyle Relay – 4th – 1:17.59 – School Record (Lichinsky, Law, Perez, Skinner)
Thursday, March 10 – Day Two
100 Butterfly – 3rd (Bronze Medal) – Lichinsky (46.45)
13th (5th/Consolation Final) – Perez (47.69)
200 Freestyle – 4th – Skinner (1:35.38)
6th – Yavari (1:36.61)
400 Medley Relay – National Runners-up (Silver Medal) – 3:08.33 – School Record (Carey, Pinheiro, Lichinsky, Skinner)
Friday, March 11 – Day Three
100 Backstroke – 9th – Carey (46.79) – School Record
100 Breaststroke -10th (2nd/Consolation Final) – Pinheiro (53.51)
200 Butterfly – National Runners-up (Silver Medal) – Lustig (1:43.66) – School Record
16th (8th/Consolation Final) – Javens (1:49.25)
3-Meter Diving – 10th – Larson (443.75)
800 Freestyle Relay – National Runners-up (Silver Medal) – 6:28.82 – School Record (Skinner, Yavari, Gandaria-Hernandez, Souza)
Saturday, March 12 – Day Four
100 Freestyle – 4th – Lichinsky (42.85)
6th – Skinner (43.79)
200 Breaststroke – 5th – Pinheiro (1:57.03)
400 Freestyle Relay – 3rd (Bronze Medal) – 2:54.03 (Lichinsky, Yavari, Perez, Skinner)
First-Team All-Americans
Carey – 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Gandaria-Hernandez – 800 Freestyle Relay
Law – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay
Lichinsky – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 100 Butterfly, 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay
Lustig – 200 Butterfly
Perez – 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay
Pinheiro – 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 200 Breaststroke
Skinner – 200 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay
Souza – 800 Freestyle Relay
Yavari – 200 Freestyle, 800 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay
Honorable Mention All-Americans
Carey – 100 Backstroke
Javens – 200 Butterfly
Larson – 1-Meter Diving, 3-Meter Diving
Lichinsky – 50 Freestyle
Perez – 100 Butterfly
Pinheiro – 100 Breaststroke
Skinner – 50 Freestyle
