Lenczyk Hits Nationals Mark In Prelims, Wins Conference 1-Meter Diving Title

Ashland University sophomore diver Joey Lenczyk really enjoys collegiate conference swim meets.
 
In 2023, the then-freshman Lenczyk won the men's 1-meter and 3-meter diving titles at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference/Mountain East Conference Championships – earning Great Midwest men's Diver of the Year and Diver of the Meet laurels in the process.
 
Fast forward to Wednesday (Feb. 14), and Lenczyk not only repeated as the men's 1-meter diving conference champion with 436.85 points, but he also earned a nationals cut for the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships, March 12-16 in Geneva, Ohio, during preliminaries with a score of 444.3 in 11 dives.
 
In the men's 200-yard medley relay, the Eagle quartet of freshman Evan Kemp, sophomore Nick Girz, junior Robin Falk and sophomore Andrew Oates was the runner-up in 1:32.45. The men's 200 freestyle relay team of freshman Colin Pham, Oates, sophomore Cole Huebner and Girz was third in 1:25.03.
 
Other men's scorers on Wednesday included:

• 1,000 FREE – sophomore Jason Basile fourth (9:42.48), sophomore Nick Olquin ninth (10:07.33), freshman Grant Brown 10^th (10:09.92), junior Weston Brown 14^th (10:31.86).
• 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Kemp fifth (1:55.03), sophomore Ryan Mohler ninth (1:57.11), senior Josh Hagan 13^th (1:57.79), Pham 15^th (1:59.93), sophomore Ayden Mason 21^st (2:07.16), sophomore Josh Bachinsky 23^rd (2:10.95).
• 50 FREE – Girz 13^th (21.63 seconds), Huebner 18^th (21.65 seconds), Oates 21^st (21.97 seconds).

The Eagle men are in third place through Day 1 with 320 team points. Findlay is first (535), followed by Frostburg State (343).
 
On the women's side, scorers were:

• 200 FREE RELAY – freshman Nykole Doerner, sophomore Megan Tomasic, freshman Blair Pichola, junior Colleen Cox fifth (1:41.10).
• 200 IM – freshman Payton O'Toole sixth (2:11.05), freshman Juliana Pignato 10^th (2:13.92), sophomore Mary Kate Prall 20^th (2:18.18), freshman Rachel Stanchek 22^nd (2:18.45).
• 50 FREE – Cox 15^th (25.08 seconds), Doerner 16^th (25.38 seconds), Pichola 23^rd (25.74 seconds), Tomasic 24^th (26.15 seconds).
• 1,000 FREE – freshman Payton Meyer 20^th (11:46.58), junior Holly Kraemer 22^nd (11:51.81).

Ashland's women finished Day 1 with 133 team points, and in seventh place in the 10-team field. Findlay is first (505.5), followed by Hillsdale (396.5) and Frostburg State (242).
 
UP NEXT
Day 2 of the Championships on Thursday (Feb. 15).