Kingsport, TN – The third-ranked UC men's swimming & diving team set a new conference record with 935 points, including winning four events on the final day to earn their fourth straight Mid-South Conference Championship Saturday night at the Kingsport Aquatic Center.  In addition to take home the team trophy, Kacper Sobieszuk was named the MSC Swimming and Freshman of the Year, while Head Coach Eric Skelly garnered MSC Coach of the Year honors.

Sobieszuk becomes just the second Patriot to earn MSC Swimmer of the Year honors, joining Vlad Khorletc in 2015.  The Lublin, Poland native also is third Patriot swimmer to be named MSC Freshman of the Year, joining Khorletc (2015) and Peyton Berter (2021).  The newcomer capped off his championship by going 1:49.57 to set a new meet record in the 200 fly prelims.  He followed that up in the finals with his second individual conference title as Sobieszuk clocked a 1:50.59. 
 

For Coach Skelly, it is the third time in program history that he has been named the MSC Coach of the Year.  He helped lead his team to numerous meet records with Cumberlands earning 15 conference titles on the week.   

Mikolaj Kala notched his second meet record of the championships as he led an onslaught on Cumberlands swimmers in the 200 breast.  Kala touched the wall in 2:02.06 to win the event, while, Peyton Berter clocked a 2:05.42 to finish runner-up.  Andres Caicedo completed the Patriots podium sweep with a time of 2:07.79, while Nathan Souza went 2:09.29 to place fourth.

Earning his second individual conference title of the weekend, Ruben Gonzalez de Oliveira edged out Enzo Esteves for the top podium spot in the 100 free.  Gonzalez de Oliveira finished with a time of 45.81, while Esteves went 46.07.  Daniel Ruiz Ramis' time 46.74 was good for fifth place as Julio Heck da Silva won the consolation final going 46.80.

In the 200 back, UC filled up two of the podium spots led by Sean Britton, who posted a career-best time of 1:58.11 to earn the silver medal.  Creed Fathing captured his second bronze medal after touching the wall in 1:57.24, as Elijah Henry went 2:01.26 to finish seventh.

John Morgan McDonald led a pair of swimmers in the mile as he clocked a 16:15.59 to earn third team All-Conference honors.  Evan Hawkins placed sixth with a time of 16:36.28, while Lucca Zhigalin went 17:10.67.

Besides Sobieszuk, a trio of Patriots also scored in the 200 fly, as Martin Herion went 1:51.30 to finish second, while Charles Wolfram and Jakub Zaremba placed fourth and fifth with times of 1:55.40 and 1:57.33, respectively.

Cumberlands closed out the meet with Esteves, Gonzalez de Oliveira, Ruiz Ramis, and Heck da Silva winning the 400 free relay with a time of 3:04.52.

The Patriots will now await the selection process to see, who gets invited to the 2022 NAIA National Championship, which is being held March 2-5 in Columbus, GA.

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