Division II Meet Recap: Conference Wrap-Up

This week was the final weekend for conference championships, with several teams facing tough competition as they worked to defend their conference titles across the country. Take a look below to see who came out on top in conference around the country and which swimmers had the most impressive performances!

Sunshine State Conference

courtney-deveny-nova-southeastern-

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

2017 Champions: Nova Southeastern (M), Nova Southeastern (W)

Teams: Nova Southeastern, Florida Southern, Tampa, Florida Tech, Saint Leo, Rollins

Top Performances:

Courtney DeVeny

The junior captured four individual events at her final conference meet, winning the 200 IM (2:01.69), 400 IM (4:21.05), 200 fly (2:01.92), and 200 back (1:57.94). That is the fastest that the junior has been since the 2015 Sunshine State Conference meet, where she won three individual titles. For her performances, DeVeny was named SSC Female Swimmer of the Meet.

Franco Lupoli

Franco Lupoli joined classmate Courtney DeVeny by winning four individual titles at the conference meet. Lupoli took home wins in the 200 (1:37.87), 500 (4:25.44), 1000 (9:08.62), and 1650 (15:31.72) freestyles. Lupoli’s times in the 200 and 1000 were career bests. For his performances, Lupoli was named SSC Male Swimmer of the Meet.

Anton Lobanov

The junior captured first place finishes in both breaststroke events at the conference meet, taking the 100 (52.69) and 200 (1:54.24) in times that were just off of his own meet records. Lobanov was also on Nova’s winning 200 and 400 medley relays, splitting 24.24 and 51.75 respectively. Notably, this was Lobanov’s fastest 200 breaststroke at the conference meet since 2015, the year he set both his NCAA records at Nationals, which should be a good confidence boost as he looks to defend his titles in March.

New South Conference Championships

Theresa.Michalak.Arena.Backstroke

Photo Courtesy: Petko Beier

2017 Champions: Lindenwood (M), Lindenwood (W)

Teams: Lindenwood, Delta State, Henderson State, Saint Cloud, Texas-Permian Basin, Ouachita Baptist

Top Performances:

Theresa Michalak

The West Florida senior pulled in four individual wins over the four day New South Conference Meet, winning the 200 IM (1:58.07), 100 fly (53.27), 100 back (54.35), and 100 breast (1:00.28). Michalak was also on winning 200 medley and 400 free relays, and earned the High Point Swimmer of the Meet award for the second year in a row. That 100 back is just off of her lifetime best, while her 100 breast and 200 IM times are faster than what she went at NCAA’s last year. Michalak is the defending 100 breaststroke champion, and is the only woman in the field to have broken 1:00 in her career. That event is shaping up to be on of the races to watch at Division II NCAA’s in a few weeks, with 3 women having already swum faster than Michalak’s winning time last year.

Serghei Golban

The junior from Lindenwood won three individual events over the course of the meet, touching first in the 50 free (19.71), 100 fly (47.49), and 100 back (47.43). That 50 free time puts Golban first in the country heading into NCAA’s, while his fly and back times seat him fourth and fifth, respectively. Golban is currently the defending NCAA Champion in the 50 and 100 free and 100 backstroke, and looks to be in a great position to defend those titles again this year.

Matteo Fraschi

This Delta State University senior put together a nice conference meet, sweeping both breaststroke events and just missing his lifetime bests in both events. Perhaps more notable, however, were that both his 100 (53.58) and 200 (1:57.11) were significantly faster than his performance at conferences last year. Fraschi typically saves his best performances for NCAA’s, so if these times are any indication he will definitely be in the mix for the podium in a few weeks.

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships

victor-polyakov-west-chester-

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

2017 Champions: West Chester (M), West Chester (W)

Teams: West Chester, Bloomsburg, Clarion, Indiana (PA), Gannon, Shippensburg, Edinboro, California (PA), Lock Haven, Kutztown, Mansfield, Millersville, East Stroudsburg

Top Performances:

Victor Polyakov

The West Chester senior finished off his final PSAC Championship meet by sweeping the 100 (44.45), 200 (1:37.68), 500 (4:30.43), and 1000 (9:17.08) freestyles. That is a career best in the 100 free and right off his best in the 200, signaling he may be focusing on the shorter distances for his last NCAA meet in March. He also led off the second place 400 medley relay in 49.49, just off his lifetime best as well. Polyakov is the defending NCAA champion in the 200 IM, but has also won titles in the 200 free, 500 free, 1000, and 1650, making what he could swim in March anybody’s guess.

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anna
anna
7 years ago

how did courtney deveny swim the 200 I.M. twice …?

Cleo
Cleo
7 years ago
Reply to  anna

Good close read; the last race for C.D. was 200 Back 1.57.94

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