2021-22 NCAC Men's Swimming & Diving Athletes of the Week

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October 4th
	Josh Pearson, Wooster (Cincinnati, OH/Indian Hill) Wooster sophomore Josh Pearson logged a trio of third-place finishes at Saturday's season-opening Viking Relay Challenge. The sophomore anchored the 200-butterfly relay (1:38.54) and 3x500 freestyle relay (15:10.51). He also led off Wooster's 400 IM relay that finished at 3:53.10. Pearson's leg of 55.67 in the 400 IM is a lifetime best, and it's the fourth-fastest in program history.		Emma Connors, Wooster (Moon Twp., PA/Moon Area) Wooster sophomore Emma Connors was a triple winner as the Fighting Scots knocked off Cleveland State University at the season-opening Viking Relay Challenge on Saturday. Connors anchored Wooster's winning 500-freestyle relay (4:52.44), led off the winning 3x500 freestyle relay (16:30.61), and was part of the first-place 200 freestyle relay (1:41.51).

October 18th
	Israel Zavaleta, Kenyon (Mexico City, Mexico/Universidad del Valle de Mexico) During the Kenyon College Relays, sophomore Israel Zavaleta won both the diving events and set program records for one-meter six dives (367.25) and 11 dives (564.60), as well as three-meter six dives (390.05) and 11 dives (592.95). All but his 11-dive performance on the one-meter board were also facility records.		Alix O'Brien, Denison (St. Paul, MN/Apple Valley) Denison freshman Alix O'Brien started off her collegiate career with two wins and two NCAA Division III National "B" standards in the women's 500 free (4:57.40) and 1650 free events (16:58.93) at the Akron Zips Classic. She also posted a top-five finish in the 200 free (1:54.09) and swam a leg of the fifth-place 800 free relay (7:42.69).

October 25th
	Justin Dusza, Wabash (La Porte, IN/LaPorte) Wabash senior Justin Dusza was responsible for 71 of Wabash's 653 points at Saturday's Indiana Division III Swimming and Diving Championship Meet in Terre Haute. Dusza won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54.32 and added a second-place finish in the 200 backstroke by completing the race in 1:59.64. Dusza was also part of the Little Giants' second-place 200-yard medley relay team that finished in 1:37.58. All three times were among the top-10 fastest conference times so far this season.		Crile Hart, Kenyon (Pepper Pike, OH/Hawken School) Kenyon senior Crile Hart tallied four first-place finishes in a dual meet with Cleveland State last week. Hart won the 50-yard freestyle (23.87), 200 IM (2:05.05) and 200 backstroke (2:04.09), while also swimming a leg of the winning 200 medley relay (1:45.66). Her 200 back and 200 IM times were also season-bests for the senior and represent the fastest times in the conference so far this season.

November 1st
	Daniel Jackson, Allegheny (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) Allegheny freshman Daniel Jackson won four events over two meets against St. Vincent and Clarion last week. Against the Bearcats, Jackson won three events, claiming first in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:19.68) and helping secure gold in the men's 200 free relay (1:31.19) and 200 medley relay (1:40.17). The freshman then touched first in the men's 100 breast with a time of 1:01.79, competing against the Golden Eagles.		Emma Hellmann, Wittenberg (Cincinnati, OH/Summit Country Day) Wittenberg senior Emma Hellmann set the new program record in women's three-meter diving, posting a score of 265.15 in the Tigers' opening meet against Wilmington and Transylvania. Combined with a performance of 260.05 on the one-meter board, Hellman achieved NCAA Division III regional qualifying scores on both boards.

November 8th
	Yurii Kosian, Kenyon (Odesa, Ukraine/Odesa School) Kenyon junior Yurii Kosian recorded four first-place finishes in a big dual-meet win at Denison on Saturday. He clocked in at 50.36 seconds to take the 100-yard backstroke and then 1:51.27 to win the 200-yard backstroke. He also swam a leg of the winning 200-yard medley relay (1:31.03) and 400-yard freestyle relay (3:03.62). All four times were among the top-five fastest in the conference so far this season.		Maggie Perry, DePauw (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights) DePauw sophomore Maggie Perry collected a pair of victories and a total of six top-three finishes in the Kalamazoo Quad Meet. Perry won the 50-yard freestyle event in 24.81 seconds, while also swimming a leg of the Tigers' winning 200-yard freestyle relay (1:38.91). DePauw won the quad meet, edging out Division II Davenport, 1043.5 to 1021.

November 15th
	Richie Kurlich, Denison (Kent, OH/Walsh Jesuit) Denison senior Richie Kurlich recorded a win in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:03.40) at NCAA Division I and No. 11-ranked Ohio State on Friday. Kurlich also swam a leg of the runner-up 400-freestyle relay (3:09.35) and placed fourth in both the 100 breast (57.20) and 400 medley relay (3:25.34) events.		Hallie Findlan, Wooster (Jefferson Hills, PA/Thomas Jefferson) Wooster first-year Hallie Findlan was a quadruple-winner during the Fighting Scots' win over Westminster. Findlan's meet started on the winning 400 medley relay (4:12.19), that cleared second place by over five seconds. Her time of 24.53 in the 50 freestyle was the best by nearly two seconds, while her winning effort of 54.09 in the 100 freestyle was nearly three seconds faster than the runner-up time. Findlan was part of Wooster's winning 200 freestyle relay (1:44.96), with that quartet having an over four-second cushion from the runner-up time.

November 22nd
	David Fitch, Kenyon (Conway, MA/Williston Northampton) Kenyon senior David Fitch won six events and led the Lords to a team victory at the Total Performance Invitational. In the 100-yard butterfly, he set a meet, pool, program and NCAA Division III record of 46.46. In the 400-yard medley relay he helped set a Kenyon record of 3:13.89. The other events he won included the 50-yard freestyle (20.15), the 200-yard butterfly (1:47.07), the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:20.68) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:00.01). All six times were also the fastest in NCAA Division III so far this season.		Crile Hart, Kenyon (Pepper Pike, OH/Hawken School) Kenyon senior Crile Hart won six events and steered the Ladies to a team win at the Total Performance Invitational over the weekend. She was part of a pool and meet record in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:21.84) while the Ladies set a meet record in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:31.67). Additionally, she set meet records in the 200-yard individual medley (1:59.30) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.62). Her other two wins were recorded in the 100-yard backstroke (55.05) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:43.57). Her performances in the 100 fly, 200 IM, 200 back, 200 free relay and 400 free relay were all No. 1 in Division III so far this season.

December 6th
	Liam Picozzi, Denison (Ballston Spa, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) Denison senior Liam Picozzi helped the No. 4 Big Red win the Denison Invitational by 395 points over second place. He won four events, the 100 backstroke (48.23), 200 backstroke (1:45.97), 200 freestyle relay (1:20.03) and 400 freestyle relay (2:56.45), while setting a new Denison varsity record in the 400 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay (1:27.74). The senior finished the weekend with seven NCAA Division III National "B" cut times in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay (3:16.12) and the 50 freestyle (20.24).		Emma Hellmann, Wittenberg (Cincinnati, OH/Summit Country Day) Wittenberg senior Emma Hellmann broke two records this past weekend at the Wooster Invitational. The senior finished first in the one-meter diving event with a score of 453.05, breaking the Wooster pool record and the Wittenberg program record. She also won on the three-meter board, collecting 465.5 points.

January 10th
	Seth Fagen, DePauw (Grand Rapids, MI/Forest Hills Northern) DePauw senior Seth Fagen recorded four top-two finishes at Rose-Hulman on Friday. Fagen tallied an event victory in the 200-yard backstroke (2:00.19), while notching second-place finishes in the 100 back (55.53) and 200 IM (2:02.70) events. The senior was also the leadoff swimmer for the Tiger's 200 medley relay team that posted a runner-up finish in 1:38.51.		Maggie Peats, DePauw (Indianapolis, IN/Roncalli) DePauw freshman Maggie Peats registered three victories in the Tiger's team victory at Rose-Hulman. She was the leadoff swimmer for the Tiger's 200-yard medley relay team which timed in at 1:56.32. Individually, she also collected event victories in the 100 backstroke (1:03.45) and the 100 butterfly (1:03.41) events.

January 17th
	Daren Glore, Wabash (Indianapolis, IN/North Central) Wabash senior Daren Glore won two individual events in the Little Giants' first home meet of the 2022 season. Glore won the 200 freestyle event with a time of 1:45.94 and added another individual victory by winning the 500 free with a time of 4:53.38. The senior also swam the second leg of the Little Giants' winning 200 freestyle relay that finished with a time of 1:27.60.		Ollie Bream, Wooster (Pinehurst, TX/Firbank Grammar School (Australia)) Wooster first-year Ollie Bream helped lead the Fighting Scots to a team win over Baldwin Wallace on Friday. Bream posted gold performances in the 200 IM (2:15.58), the 200 butterfly (2:14.45), and as part of the 400 medley relay (4:12.05).

January 24th
	Trey Ike, Denison (Horseheads, NY/The Peddie School) Denison junior Trey Ike had a hand in three of the Big Red's six event victories against Cleveland State and Gannon on Saturday. Ike tallied individual victories in the men's 50 freestyle (20.84) and 100 freestyle (46.29) events, while also helping the Denison 200 free relay team to a victory in 1:23.27 seconds.		Ania Axas, Kenyon (Ludlow, MA/Wilbraham. & Monson Academy) Kenyon junior Ania Axas helped the Ladies to a pair of victories over Case Western and Ohio Northern in a double-dual meet on Saturday. Axas touched first in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2021-22 conference-leading time of 2:07.07, while also recording a victory in the 100 butterfly in 58.3 seconds.

January 31st
	Israel Zavaleta, Kenyon (Mexico City, Mexico/Universidad del Valle de Mexico) For the third time this season, Israel Zavaleta broke the Kenyon records for men's diving. Saturday at Miami (OH) University he re-established the program marks at 388.80 on the one-meter board and 405.68 on the three-meter board.		Emma Hellmann, Wittenberg (Cincinnati, OH/Summit Country Day) Wittenberg senior Emma Hellmann broke her own school records and set new Natatorium standards on Saturday against Manchester. In one-meter diving, Hellmann tallied a six-dive winning score of 276.6, while compiling 294.9 points for the victory on the three-meter board.