GRANVILLE, Ohio (February 12, 2022) – The Denison University men's swimming & diving team entered the final event of the meet facing a three-point deficit, and knowing that the winner of the 400 freestyle relay between Denison and Keynon College would take all, the team of Patrick Daly, Trey Ike, Kyle Verstandig and Liam Picozzi dug down deep and secured Denison's 13th North Coast Athletic Conference Championship.

Denison entered the final event trailing Kenyon by only three points (1,911.5-1908.5), but the eight-point margin available between the first and the second-place finisher in the 400 freestyle relay meant that the title was up for grabs. In the end, Denison finished with 1,978.5 points to win the championship by only five points over the Lords (1,973.5).

In all, the Big Red won six events on Saturday, but none were bigger than the win in the 400 freestyle relay, which saw Denison finish with a new varsity and pool record time of 2:56.23. Daly and Ike did a great job keeping up with Kenyon during the first two legs of the final race, and Verstandig overcame his man to put the Big Red in front during the third leg. Then Picozzi jumped in the water, and the excitement inside the Trumbull Aquatics Center was palpable as he began to pull away to finish it off.

Over the course of the four-day meet, Denison totaled 11 event wins at the championship out of 21 total events, and posted 27 all-conference finishes.

Picozzi and Ike both totaled five NCAC Championships, four of which came in relays, while Richie Kurlich (2 individual, 1 relay) and Verstandig (1 individual, 2 relay) both finished with three total conference titles.

Additionally, Daly, a freshman from New Albany, Ohio, earned the 2022 NCAC Men's Newcomer of the Year honors after capturing four All-NCAC certificates with one victory, a runner-up showing and two third-place finishes. Daly and his teammates claimed second in the 800 free relay in an NCAA "B" cut time of 6:37.42 to open Wednesday's events. The rookie then took third in the 200 IM in a "B" cut time of 1:49.78 on Thursday evening. On the final night of the championship, Daly recorded a third-place finish in the 100 IM in a time of 50.77, while the Big Red closed out the meet claiming the NCAC title and a "B" cut in the 400 free relay in 2:56.23, which earned Denison the team title.

The final night started off with a victory by Luke Landis in the 1,650 freestyle with an NCAA Division III National "B" cut time of 15:27.94. Sam Myaard earned all-conference as well in the event with a third-place finish and National "B" cut time of 15:35.64. Lucas Conrads swam a National "B" cut time of 15:44.34 to finish in fifth place and Ryan Foreback finished in sixth place with a time of 16:17.40, making it four DU swimmers in the top-six, which helped Denison take a 26-point lead (1,454.5-1428.5) over Kenyon at the time.

The wins kept coming for the Big Red as Kurlich broke the NCAC record and won the title in the 100 IM. Kurlich's time of 50.19 seconds bested the previous conference record time of 50.27 seconds, set by Kenyon's Marcus Hong in 2020. Daly also earned an all-conference certificate in the 100 IM with a time of 50.77 seconds to take third place, but Kenyon retook the lead by 20 points (1,539.5-1,519.5).

In the 200 backstroke, Picozzi earned an all-conference certificate in third place with a time of 1:47.59, but he was surpassed by Kenyon's Spencer Pruett (1:45.41) and Yurii Kosian (1:45.61). Pruett finished in first place and eclipsed Picozzi's pool record in the event, and set a new conference record as well as Kenyon increased its lead to 58 points (1,634.5-1,576.5).

Verstandig won the 100 freestyle while a National "B" cut time of 44.64 seconds while Ike was fourth with a National "B" cut time of 44.82 seconds. Unfortunately, Kenyon had four of the top-seven swimmers in the event to expand its lead to 80 points (1,745.5-1,665.5) with three events left.

Kurlich then won his second event of the day by taking first in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:58.73. Elijah Venos was third with a time of 2:01.55 to earn all-conference, Gavin Jones was fourth at 2:02.67, and Christian Narcelles was fifth in 2:02.88. The quartet of National "B" cuts helped Denison nearly cut Kenyon's lead in half, down from 80 points to 42 points (1,829.5-1,787.5) with two events to go.

In the final individual event of the entire meet, the 200 butterfly, Chimes brought home Denison's fifth event championship of the day with a National "B" cut time of 1:47.74 while Houskeeper was second with a National "B" cut time as well of 1:48.32. Ethan Bevill was fourth with a National "B'" cut time of 1:49.82, and Landis made it four DU swimmers in the top-seven by finishing in seventh at 1:51.30.

The 200 butterfly brought the Big Red all the way to within only three points of Kenyon at 1,911.5-1,908.5, setting up the thrilling finish to the meet in the 400 freestyle relay.
 
NCAC Championships:
Luke Landis – 1,650 freestyle – 15:27.94
Richie Kurlich – 100 IM – 50.19
Kyle Verstandig – 100 freestyle – 44.64
Richie Kurlich – 200 breaststroke – 1:58.73
Eric Chimes – 200 butterfly – 1:47.74
Patrick Daly, Trey Ike, Kyle Verstandig, Liam Picozzi – 400 freestyle relay – 2:56.23
 
All-NCAC Performances (Top-3):
Luke Landis – first place in the 1,650 freestyle – 15:27.94
Sam Myaard – third place in the 1,650 freestyle – 15:35.64
Richie Kurlich – first place in the 100 IM – 50.19
Patrick Daly – third place in the 100 IM – 50.77
Liam Picozzi – third place in the 200 backstroke – 1:47.59
Kyle Verstandig – first place in the 100 freestyle – 44.64
Richie Kurlich – first place in the 200 breaststroke – 1:58.73
Elijah Venos – third place in the 200 breaststroke – 2:01.55
Eric Chimes – first place in the 200 butterfly – 1:47.74
Noah Houskeeper – second place in the 200 butterfly – 1:48.32
Patrick Daly, Trey Ike, Kyle Verstandig, Liam Picozzi – first place in the 400 freestyle relay – 2:56.23
 
NCAA Division III National "B" cuts:
Luke Landis – 1,650 freestyle finals – 15:27.94
Sam Myaard – 1,650 freestyle finals – 15:35.64
Lucas Conrads – 1,650 freestyle finals – 15:44.34
Liam Picozzi – 200 backstroke finals – 1:47.59
Liam Picozzi – 200 backstroke prelims – 1:48.09
Kyle Verstandig – 100 freestyle finals – 44.64
Kyle Verstandig – 100 freestyle prelims – 44.72
Trey Ike – 100 freestyle finals – 44.82
Trey Ike – 100 freestyle prelims – 45.01
Richie Kurlich – 200 breaststroke finals – 1:58.73
Richie Kurlich – 200 breaststroke prelims – 2:01.81
Elijah Venos – 200 breaststroke finals – 2:01.55
Elijah Venos – 200 breaststroke prelims – 2:03.87
Gavin Jones – 200 breaststroke finals – 2:02.67
Gavin Jones – 200 breaststroke prelims – 2:03.57
Christian Narcelles – 200 breaststroke finals – 2:02.88
Christian Narcelles – 200 breaststroke prelims – 2:03.76
Eric Chimes – 200 butterfly finals – 1:47.74
Eric Chimes – 200 butterfly prelims – 1:49.06
Noah Houskeeper – 200 butterfly finals – 1:48.32
Noah Houskeeper – 200 butterfly prelims – 1:49.64
Ethan Bevill – 200 butterfly finals – 1:49.82
Patrick Daly, Trey Ike, Kyle Verstandig, Liam Picozzi – 400 freestyle relay – 2:56.23
 
Day Four Results
Full Meet Results