2024 MEN’S MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Dates: Wednesday, March 6 – Saturday, March 9
- Location: SIU Recreation Center, Carbondale, IL
- Defending Champions: Miami (3x)
- Live Results
- Live Video
- Championship Central
- Teams: Ball State, Evansville, Miami (OH), Missouri State, Southern Illinois, UIC, Valparaiso
EVENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday (3/6)
- 200 medley relay
- 800 freestyle relay
Thursday (3/7)
- 200 free relay
- 500 freestyle
- 200 IM
- 50 freestyle
- 1-meter diving
- 200 freestyle relay
Friday (3/8)
- 100 butterfly
- 400 IM
- 200 freestyle
- 100 breaststroke
- 100 backstroke
- 400 medley relay
Saturday (3/9)
- 1650 freestyle
- 200 backstroke
- 100 freestyle
- 200 breaststroke
- 200 butterfly
- 3-meter diving
- 400 freestyle relay
2023 RECAP
TEAM STANDINGS
- Miami (OH) – 755
- Missouri State – 713.5
- Southern Illinois – 611.5
- Ball State – 457
- UIC – 366.5
- Evansville – 340.5
- Valparaiso – 99
The Miami (OH) RedHawks earned their 3rd consecutive MAC title at last year’s meet, winning in a close battle with Missouri State. Miami was led by a big junior class, one which will be looking to make it a clean sweep of their 4 years this year. Moreover, the RedHawks only had 2 seniors who scored at last year’s meet, so they’re facing very minimal losses.
Meanwhile, Missouri State only had a few scoring seniors of their own last year, and they had a huge and impactful freshmen class, who could be a real force this year as sophomores.
2023 NCAA QUALIFIERS
The only men’s swimmer or diver to qualify for the 2023 NCAA Championships from the MAC last year was Southern Illinois’ Ruard Van Renen, who has since transferred to Georgia. As a freshman last season, Van Renen was the Swimmer of the Meet, winning all 3 of his individual events. He won the 100 back in 45.05, the 100 fly in 46.10, and the 200 back in 1:40.64. He also put up a 44.89 100 back in a time trial on the first night of the meet.
Van Renen would go on to NCAAs, where he won the ‘B’ final of the 100 back in 44.67, a time which would have earned him 6th in the ‘A’ final. He would also take 13th in the 200 back with a 1:40.22.
He’s continued swimming at a very high level this season at UGA, where he’s currently ranked 6th in the NCAA this year with a 44.50 100 back. Van Renen has also dipped under 1:40 in the 200 back, having clocked a 1:39.54 at the SEC Championships
STARS OF THE MAC
Joey Garberick, Ball State
Ball State senior Joey Garberick is the MAC’s top breaststroker currently. At last year’s MAC Championships, Garberick won the 100 breast with a 52.17. He went 1:57.69 to take 2nd in the 200 breast as well. This season, Garberick has been far and away the best 100 breaststroker in the conference, having clocked a 52.69 at the Minnesota Invite back in the fall. He’s been excellent in the 200 breast this season as well, where he also leads the conference this season with a 1:58.67 from the Minnesota Invite.
Garberick has only been 20.63 in the 50 free this season, however, he’s a very good 50 freestyler as well. At last year’s meet, Garberick took 4th in the 50 with a 20.17.
Alex Santiago, SIU
Saluki junior Alex Santiago is, to this point in the season, the top sprint freestyler in the conference. He’s already been 19.64 in the 50 free, a time which he posted at the Purdue Invite in the fall. That time makes Santiago one of two swimmers in the conference to have gone under 20 seconds this season, with the other being teammate Donat Csuvarszki, who went 19.91 at the Purdue Invite.
Santiago leads the 100 free this season as well, coming into the meet with a season best of 43.42 from the Purdue Invite. He’s not quite as strong in the 200 free as the shorter events, though Santiago is still 3rd in the conference this season with a 1:38.45.
Dylan Moffatt, Missouri State
Missouri State senior Dylan Moffatt has long been one of the top middle distance and distance freestylers in the conference. At last year’s meet, Moffatt won the 1650 free in 15:08.58, took 4th in the 500 free with a 4:28.34, and 5th in the 400 IM with a 3:57.50.
Moffatt currently leads the MAC this season in the 500 free and the mile. In the 500, Moffatt swam a 4:28.34 at the Purdue Invite, while he also went 15:23.88 in the mile at that meet. He’s currently 8th in the conference in the 400 IM, though his season best of 4:00.57 is only a few seconds off his time from last year’s MAC Championship.
Henju Duvenhage, Miami (OH)
Miami (OH) senior Henju Duvenhage was nearly perfect at last year’s MAC Championship, winning the 200 IM (1:44.09) and 200 fly (1:44.08). He also came in 2nd in the 100 fly with a 46.16. As expected, Henju has been great this season as well. He’s already gone 46 in the 100 fly, having swum a 46.98 at the Miami Invite back in the fall. In the 200 IM, Henju holds a season best of 1:46.26, which leads the conference, and leads the conference in the 100 back with a 47.65. Henju is ranked 2nd in the conference in the 200 fly this season with a 1:46.14.
Cole Tremewan, UIC
A junior at UIC, Cole Tremewan swept the diving events last year as a sophomore. He returns for the Flames this season, making him the favorite to win Diver of the Year again. Last year, Tremewan won 1-meter with a score of 324.05 and 3-meter with a score of 320.10.
RACES TO WATCH
100 Free
The 100 free looks like it should be a really great race. The top 3 finishers from last year, all 3 of whom were well under 44 seconds, return this season. Southern Illinois’ Donat Csuvarszki won the event last year, swimming a 43.16, while teammate Alex Santiago came in 3rd with a 43.69. Ball State’s Owen Chaye came in 2nd with a 43.58. This season, Santiago holds the top time in the conference, having gone 43.42, while Chaye has been 43.85. Csuvarszki holds a season best of 44.04.
It’s more than just the top 3, however, as SIU also sees Alex Cimera return. Cimera took 4th in the event last year a freshman, swimming a 44.33 after going 44.15 in prelims. This season, Cimera has been as fast as 44.43. The Salukis also have AJ Terry, Nicolas Barrio, and Benedek Andor, all of whom are ranked in the top 10 in the conference this season with times under 45.
Miami’s Ian Rodrigues has put up a very strong performance in the 100 free this season as well. He comes in with the #4 time in the MAC this year, having gone a 44.15 at Miami’s dual meet with Kenyon back in January.
400 IM
Defending champion AJ Huskey (Missouri State) returns this year to try and defend his title. Huskey won the race fairly comfortably last year, swimming a 3:52.85 to finish 1st by more than 2 seconds. Huskey has only been 3:59.26 this season, but he’s still a massive threat to repeat as 400 IM champion.
It’s Southern Illinois’ Selim Hassan who leads the conference this season with a 3:56.44. Hassan took 6th last year with a 3:59.07 after swimming a 3:57.85 in prelims. His career best in the event is 3:53.54, a time which he swam in November of 2022. Hassan isn’t the only Saluki looking to do some damage in the 400 IM, as Ian Marshall has also been under 4:00 this season, having gone 3:59.51 in the fall.
UIC’s James McCarthy has been 3:58.28 already this season, while Miami’s Allen Cotton has been 3:58.33. Missouri State’s Brunno Suzuki is the other swimmer in the conference to have gone under 4:00 up to this point in the season, coming in with a season best of 3;58.56.
200 Breast
The 200 breast is up for grabs, as the defending champion, Evansville’s Alon Baer, doesn’t appear to be in the picture this year. Baer won the title in 1:56.16 last year, and is listed on Evansville’s roster this season, however, he hasn’t competed for the Aces this season. He did compete at the Knoxville Pro Swim Series back in January, where he took 6th in the 100 breast and 8th in the 200 breast.
With Baer out of the picture, that leaves Ball State’s Joey Garberick in a very good position. Garberick came in 2nd last year with a 1:57.69 and , of course, won the 100 breast last year as well. This season, Garberick holds the top time in the conference, having gone 1:58.67 at mid season.
While Garberick came in 2nd last year, Miami’s Adrian Dulay was not far behind, taking 3rd in 1:57.95. Dulay has only been 2:00.32 this season, however, his season best coming into the meet last year was 2:00.08, so he’s in basically the same position.
Missouri State’s Luigi Da Silva has been under 2:00 this season as well, coming into the meet with a time of 1:59.42. With that time, Da Silva will be the #2 seed in the event this week.
SWIMSWAM’S PICKS (TOP 3)
- Miami (OH)
- Missouri State
- Southern Illinois
We’re picking the Miami RedHawks to take their 4th-straight men’s MAC title this year. Miami didn’t lose a huge amount from last year’s championship roster, and they have a very strong senior class leading them this season.
It could be another very close finish, however, as Missouri State has a great group of sophomores, who should be showing some more growth in their second season with the Bears. SIU is a threat as well, although they have more ground to make up from last year than Missouri State does.
Wish Buffalo still had a mens program……
SIU does an amazing job hosting this meet with great video and commentary. The announcers clearly do their homework.
Yeah just take out the fact that 3 lanes of the pool has a distinct advantage and it’s great
Agreed, was awesome to hear them recognize a swimmer’s lifetime bests in 2022, even the non-scoring guys. Hope they brought the same guys back this year!
Eh when they hosted in 2020, they had a camera set up in the stands, and one opposite it on the diving tower that they were constantly cutting back and forth between. It was quite hard to follow anything.