Anderson Breaks 12 School Records in Magnus Cup

The Anderson University men's swimming and diving team broke 12 school records during the three-day Magnus Cup, which concluded on Sunday in Cleveland.
 
Anderson finished 10th place in the team standings with 135 points. The Magnus Cup Field included NCAA Division I institutions Cleveland State University, University of Delaware, Xavier University, Youngstown State University, NCAA Division II institutions Fairmont State University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, West Virginia University Institute of Technology and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' University of the Cumberlands. Cumberlands is ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA poll. Anderson stood as the lone NCAA Division III school in the Magnus Cup.
 
"I am incredibly proud of how our student-athletes competed in this weekend's mid-season championship," Coach Tanner Barton said. "The Magnus Cup is a highly-competitive invitational with multiple Division I, Division II and NAIA schools.  Our program was the lone Division III program competing in Cleveland, but they raced with such grit, determination and perseverance.  Our top relays were competitive with other programs and our Ravens rose to the occasion."
 
The goal of hitting a season-best performance was accomplished across the board for the Ravens.
 
"Our No. 1 priority throughout the weekend was to record season-best performance.  Every AU swim throughout the three preliminary sessions was a season-best performance.  This proves that the student-athletes are continuing to make improvements and their performances are a direct reflection of the effort they're putting in to the training."
 
In addition to achieving season-best times, the Ravens were targeting their best performances of their careers. The men's team capped off the weekend with 12 school records and 31 personal bests. As a program, the men and women combined to 18 school records and 51 personal bests.
 
"Our second priority throughout the weekend was to record personal best times.  Almost every woman on the team recorded a personal-best time and every single male recorded at least one personal best.  In total, our program recorded 51 personal-best times!  The women logged 20 of these 50 personal bests while the men recorded the other 31."
 
Noah Scheffer (Lambertville, Mich./Bedford), Josh Ekberg (Mahomet, Ill/Mahomet Seymour), Bryce Holt (Osceola, Ind./Penn High School) and Evan Kropf (Fort Wayne, Ind./Fort Wayne Concordia) teamed up to break the school record in four relay events. Anderson recorded a 200-freestyle relay time of 1 minute, 28.13 seconds in the order of Kropf, Ekberg, Holt and Scheffer. The Ravens then posted a 400-medley relay time of 3:34.83 in the order of Holt, Ekberg, Scheffer and Kropf. Anderson contributed an 800-freestyle relay time of 7:24.51 in the order of Ekberg, Holt, Kropf and Scheffer. The Ravens then clocked a 400-freestyle relay time of 3:14.06 in the order of Kropf, Holt, Ekberg and Scheffer.
 
Anderson also put together a 200-medley relay of Alex Cubellis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider), Ekberg, Scheffer and Holt, which set a school-record time of 1:37.21.
 
"Our relays were phenomenal this weekend.  The men broke all five of the school relay records. The men were excited to race relay teams from these other institutions and they channeled the energy from Busbey Natatorium into their races."
 
Ekberg also added an individual school record in addition to representing five record-setting relays. The junior from Mahomet, Ill. raced to a school-record time of 59.48 seconds in the 100 breaststroke. Ekberg posted three more personal records (PRs) with times of 22.77 seconds in the 50 freestyle, 1:52.24 in the 200 freestyle and 2:03.32 in the 200 individual medley.
 
In a fielded loaded with Division I and Division II completion, Ekberg captured 14th in the 100 breaststroke and 15th in the 200 breaststroke.
 
"Josh had a phenomenal weekend.  In both of his breaststroke events, Josh placed in the top 15 and defeated competitors from high-level Division I programs.  His freestyle is continuing to progress and he is establishing himself as a true competitor in the HCAC.  His record-setting time in 100 breaststroke currently ranks as the top time in the HCAC."
 
In addition to contributing to the five relay school records, Scheffer broke four individual school records. Scheffer raced to a 50-freestyle time of 22.02 seconds. The freshman from Lambertville, Mich. clocked a 100-freestyle time of 48.64 seconds. Scheffer provided a 100-butterfly time of 51.92 seconds. He then put together a 200-butterfly time of 2:06.14.
 
"Noah helped to re-write the Anderson University record boards.  While he set four individual school records, he and I firmly believe that there are specific areas to refine in his races.  This is only the beginning of a bright future for Noah and AU Swimming."
 
Austin Orr (Thorntown, Ind./Lebanon) secured two school records. The freshman from Thorntown produced times of 11:12.68 in the 1,000 freestyle and 18:43.88 in the 1,650 freestyle.
 
Cubellis racked up five PRs on the weekend. The freshman from Fort Wayne put together PRs in the 50 freestyle (23.29), 50 backstroke (26.24), 100 backstroke (56.99), 200 backstroke (2:13.92) and the 100 freestyle (52.76).
 
David Lange (Milaca, Minn./Princeton) secured four PRs on the weekend. The freshman from Milaca, Minn. Charged to times of 2:13.96 in the 200 individual medley, 4:50.40 in the 400 individual medley, 1:06.23 in the 100 breaststroke and 2:27.10 in the 200 breaststroke.
 
Anthony Stultz (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) contributed four PRs as well. The freshman from New Palestine raced to times of 59.34 seconds in the 100 freestyle, 1:05.97 in the 100 backstroke, 13:10.79 in the 1,000 freestyle and 21:54.98 in the 1,650 freestyle.
 
Kropf produced three PRs for the Ravens. The sophomore from Fort Wayne notched PRs in the 50 freestyle (22.24), 100 butterfly (53.35) and 100 freestyle (48.84).
 
Holt clocked PRs in the 50 freestyle (22.36) and the 100 backstroke (55.60).
 
Wil Lashbrook (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) put together a 200-backstroke PR of 2:13.76.
 
Andrew Taflinger (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North) turned in a 100-backstroke PR of 59.20 seconds.
 
"I want to thank my coaches, Dave Costill, Graham Carpenter and Andra Pavich for their help throughout the first part of the season.  The four of us know this program can continue to set new standards of excellence and I am grateful for how committed they are in helping our student-athletes."
 
Cleveland State cruised to first with 1,509 points. Xavier came in second with 1,082 points, finishing ahead of Delaware (953), Gannon (607.5), Cumberlands (526.5), Indiana Pennsylvania (246), Youngstown State (222), West Virginia Tech (195), Fairmont State (170) and Anderson (135), which rounds out the team standings.
 
The Ravens (1-3, 0-2) resume action in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) dual with Franklin College (5-1, 3-0) on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. in Bennett Natatorium.