Viking men finish 4-3 in dual meets and third at CCIW Championships; Jared Ekberg named CCIW Swimmer of the Year; competes at nationals; breaks four school records
 
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Coach Dan Lloyd's Augustana men's swimming team finished 4-3 in dual meets in 2018-19 and matched last year's third-place finish at the CCIW Championships. Senior Jared Ekberg (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) had a huge year, breaking four school records, winning the CCIW 100 backstroke title, earning the conference's Swimmer of the Year award and competing at the NCAA Division III Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 
The Vikings opened the season by winning two of three dual meets, falling 127-95 at St. Ambrose on October 5 before downing Knox (163-15) and Millikin (142-58) at home on October 27.
 
Lloyd's bunch traveled to Alis Viejo, California to face some stiff competition at the Soka Invitational on November 11. Augustana finished fourth in a five-team field that otherwise consisted of NCAA Division II and NAIA programs.
 
A 103-98 dual-meet win at Monmouth on November 16 was followed by a second-place performance at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational the next day. Ekberg won the 100 backstroke at IWU.
 
The Vikings dropped a 178-96 dual meet at Carthage on January 12 before competing at the Grinnell Invitational on January 18-19. Ekberg won four individual events and swam on four winning relays to help Augustana finish third among six teams at Grinnell.
 
On February 2, the Vikings split a double dual with Wheaton and North Central in Wheaton, Illinois. Augustana fell to the host Thunder 197-73 and defeated the Cardinals by a score of 168-65.
 
At the CCIW Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin on February 14-16, Ekberg set three school records, won the 100 backstroke and finished second in the 50 and 100 freestyles to help the Vikings (496) place third behind Carthage (1018) and Wheaton (865).
 
Ekberg's performance at the conference meet earned him a trip to Greensboro for the national meet on March 21-23. He broke his fourth school record of the season with a 37th-place :49.97 in the 100 butterfly and finished 21st in 100 backstroke (:49.90) and 38th in the 100 freestyle (:46.13). He became the first CCIW swimmer ever to go under 50 seconds in all three of those events.
 
2019 CCIW Swimming & Diving Championship
February 9, 2019—Bloomington, Ill. (Diving)
February 14-16, 2019—Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (Swimming)
 
Team Results:  1. Carthage 1018; 2. Wheaton 865; 3. AUGUSTANA 496; 4. Illinois Wesleyan 339; 5. Millikin 282; 6. North Central 220; 7. Carroll 148.5
 
Individual Champions and Augustana finishers
50 freestyle: 1. Nick Nevins, Carthage :20.86; 2. Jared Ekberg, AUGUSTANA :21.01; 13. Jeremy Wolf, AUGUSTANA :21.90; 15. Luke Herron, AUGUSTANA :22.08
100 freestyle: 1. Will Rinne, Wheaton :45.76; 2. Jared Ekberg, AUGUSTANA :45.79; 8. Bryan Haage, AUGUSTANA :47.07; 13. Jeremy Wolf, AUGUSTANA :48.14
200 freestyle: 1. Will Rinne, Wheaton 1:39.18; 4. Bryan Haage, AUGUSTANA 1:43.80; 9. Jeremy Wolf, AUGUSTANA 1:45.34
500 freestyle: 1. Mason McCauley, Illinois Wesleyan 4:39.20; 4. Aidan McConkey, AUGUSTANA 4:47.52; 11. Adam Smith, AUGUSTANA 4:55.79; 12. Connor Bullard, AUGUSTANA 4:55.90
1650 freestyle: 1. Mason McCauley, Illinois Wesleyan 16:08.72
100 backstroke: 1. Jared Ekberg, AUGUSTANA :49.43; 8. Aidan McConkey, AUGUSTANA :53.51; 9. Greg Roskowic, AUGUSTANA :53.19; 11. Charles Young, AUGUSTANA :55.27; 12. Connor Bullard, AUGUSTANA :55.41
200 backstroke: 1. Chris Szymczak, Wheaton 1:47.98; 6. Aidan McConkey, AUGUSTANA 1:57.85; 7. Charlie Young, AUGUSTANA 1:58.24; 9. Greg Roskowic 1:58.74; 15. Jacob Huffer, AUGUSTANA 2:09.87
100 breaststroke: 1. Mitch Mages, Carthage :55.47; 5. Brett Keefe, AUGUSTANA :58.75; 15. Zach Ogden, AUGUSTANA 1:03.56
200 breaststroke: 1. Mitch Mages, Carthage 2:03.43; 6. Brett Keefe, AUGUSTANA 2:11.28; 16. Zach Ogden, AUGUSTANA 2:20.68
100 butterfly: 1. Nick Seroni, Carthage :49.83; 9.Greg Roskowic, AUGUSTANA :51.83; 12. Anthony Santangelo, AUGUSTANA :55.13
200 butterfly:  1. Nick Seroni, Carthage 1:54.44; 10. Adam Smith, AUGUSTANA 2:06.35; 12. Anthony Santangelo, AUGUSTANA 2:06.75
200 IM: 1. Will Rinne, Wheaton 1:50.23; 5. Bryan Haage, AUGUSTANA 1:53.98
400 IM: 1. Cooper Hawkins, Carthage 3:57.93; 7. Adam Smith, AUGUSTANA 4:23.13; 14. Jacob Huffer, AUGUSTANA 4:51.55
200 freestyle relay: 1. Carthage 1:21.86; 3. AUGUSTANA (Jared Ekberg, Bryan Haage, Greg Roskowic, Luke Herron) 1:24.82
400 freestyle relay: 1. Carthage 3:02.81; 3. AUGUSTANA (Bryan Haage, Jeremy Wolf, Greg Roskowic, Jared Ekberg) 3:06.85
800 freestyle relay: 1. Carthage 6:57.32; 3. AUGUSTANA (Bryan Haage, Aidan McConkey, Jeremy Wolf, Adam Smith) 7:03.17
200 medley relay: 1. Carthage 1:30.75; 3. AUGUSTANA (Jared Ekberg, Brett Keefe, Greg Roskowic, Luke Herron) 1:33.92
400 medley relay: 1. Carthage 3:19.86; 3. AUGUSTANA (Jared Ekberg, Brett Keefe, Bryan Haage, Jeremy Wolf) 3:26.46
One-meter diving: 1. Connor Pierson, Carthage 429.15; 5. Tom Pham, AUGUSTANA 226.20
Three-meter diving: 1. Connor Pierson, Carthage 421.50; 5. Tom Pham, AUGUSTANA 229.95
 
2018-19 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES
DUAL MEET RECORD: 4-3
COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN FINISH: 3rd with 496 points
CCIW SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Jared Ekberg
CCIW ALL-CONFERENCE: Jared Ekberg
NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIPS: Jared Ekberg, 100 backstroke (21st—:49.90); Jared Ekberg 100 butterfly (37th—:49.97); Jared Ekberg 100 freestyle (38th—:46.13)
SCHOOL RECORDS: 50 freestyle (:20.85) Jared Ekberg; 100 freestyle (:45.79) Jared Ekberg; 100 backstroke (:49.06) Jared Ekberg; 100 butterfly (:49.97) Jared Ekberg
CCIW SWIMMER OF THE WEEK: Jared Ekberg, 1/22/19
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Bryan Haage, Jacob Huffer, Quinn Landoch, Aidan McConkey, Tom Pham, Anthony Santangelo
TEAM FINISHES IN INVITATIONALS: Soka Invitational on 11/10/18—4th of 5... Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on 11/17/18—2nd of 5... Wheaton Invitational on 11/30-12/1/18—5th of 6... Grinnell Invitational on 1/18-19/19 – 3rd of 6
INVITATIONAL INDIVIDUAL & RELAY CHAMPIONS
Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on 11/17/18 – 100 backstroke (:52.29) Jared Ekberg
Grinnell Invitational on 1/18-19/19 – 200 freestyle relay (1:27.28) Jared Ekberg, Jeremy Wolf, Greg Roskowic, Bryan Haage; 100 backstroke (:51.22) Jared Ekberg; 100 IM (:53.49) Jared Ekberg; 400 medley relay (3:37.41) Jared Ekberg, Brett Keefe, Bryan Haage, Luke Herron; 200 medley relay (1:37.22) Jared Ekberg, Brett Keefe, Bryan Haage, Jeremy Wolf; 200 freestyle (1:45.86) Jared Ekberg; 50 freestyle (:21.65) Jared Ekberg; 400 freestyle relay (3:12.11) Jared Ekberg, Aidan McConkey, Jeremy Wolf, Bryan Haage
 
ALL-TIME TOP 10 LISTS
Jared Ekberg: 50 freestyle (1st—:20.85); 100 freestyle (1st—:45.79); 100 backstroke (1st—:49.06); 100 butterfly (1st—:49.97); 100 breaststroke (9th—1:01.47); 200 freestyle (10th—1:45.86) 
Bryan Haage: 200 IM (2nd—1:53.98); 100 freestyle (4th—:47.07)
Aidan McConkey: 100 backstroke (3rd—:53.07); 500 freestyle (4th—4:47.52); 200 backstroke (6th—1:57.85)
Charles Young: 200 backstroke (8th—1:58.24)
Jeremy Wolf: 200 freestyle (6th—1:45.34)
Greg Roskowic: 100 butterfly (5th—:51.83)
 
TEAM AWARDS:
MVP: Jared Ekberg
Best Relay Performer: Jared Ekberg
Commitment to Excellence: Bryan Haage
Academic Honors: Bryan Haage, Anthony Santangelo
Diver of the Year: Tom Pham
2019-20 Captains-Elect: Adam Smith, Greg Roskowic