The Ashland University men and women’s swim and dive team competed at the 2025 Great Midwest Athletic Conference / Mountain East Conference Championship recently.
The Eagles kicked off day one with strong performances on both the men and women’s side finding gold and silver medals.
The men’s 200-yard medley consisting of sophomore Colin Pham, junior Nick Girz, sophomore Evan Kemp and junior Andrew Oates placed second alongside men’s 200 freestyle relay consisting of junior Cole Huebner, Oates, senior Robin Fak and Girz.
Kemp also found an individual second place in the men’s 200 medley alongside junior Jason Basile in the men’s 1,000 free.
Few women also found second place in the women’s 200 medley relay consisting of freshman Yasmim Tomita, senior Colleen Cox, and sophomore Payton Meyer and Payton O’Toole.
Day two consisted of meet highlight with junior Joey Lenczyk winning a third straight men’s 1-meter diving title and earning a spot at the NCAA Division II nationals for a second consecutive season.
He finds that his coach aids in his success as he finds another conference win.
“I’m truly grateful to be part of a team that supports me so much, especially Coach Morgan Brutcher,” Lenczyk said. “She plays a pivotal role in helping me prepare for conference each year, and I owe much of my success to her guidance and encouragement.”
The third day would follow with sophomore Riley Hunt winning a conference diving title as well. She finds that her success can be attributed to Head Coach Hueston Holder always cheering for her and her teammates.
“He’s honestly the loudest person in the stands if I’m being honest cheering for us,” Hunt said. “And it really means a lot to have that support from him.”
Holders cheerful spirit in the stands has lauded him as Men’s Conference Coach of the Year to close off the meet.
Hunt and Lenczyk also found themselves being named women and men’s divers of the meet for the second and third year – respectively.
Select Eagles will keep the momentum going as they compete in the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana beginning Tuesday, March 11 through Saturday, March 15.
