Men's swimming and diving team slips to second-place at 2008 MIAA Championships

The Olivet College men's swimming and diving team slipped into second-place after the second day of the 2008 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championships at the Holland Aquatic Center. The Comets have scored 318.5 points, which is only 26.5 points behind leader Hope College. Kalamazoo College is a close third with 305 points.

Leading the way for Olivet was Kellen Beckwith (Farmington Hills/North Farmington), who won the league title in the 100-yard backstroke. During the morning prelims, he touched the wall in 50.91 seconds to lower both his school record and NCAA Championship "B" cut qualifying time. In addition, Mitch Powers (Kalamazoo/Central) placed fifth in the 100 back.

The Comets got tonight's finals started with a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. The quartet of Beckwith, Dustin Meisner (Temperance/Erie Mason), Rafe Maxwell (Bay City/Western) and Brad Voss (Lansing/Holt) swam to a school-record time of 1:34.09. The time was also a NCAA Championships "B" cut.

In the next event, the 400-yard individual medley, Nathan Busscher (Hamilton/Holland Christian) was the third-place finisher in a lifetime best time of 4:17.43. In consolation finals of the 400 IM, Olivet took 3-4-5 to place 9-10-11 overall. Sam Jaffee (Bowling Green, Ohio) led the way at 4:27.50, followed by Zach McMunigal (Grand Blanc/Flint Powers Catholic) in 4:30.61 and Brian Jaffee (Bowling Green, Ohio) in 4:32.62.

Maxwell placed third in the 100-yard butterfly. His time of 52.08 seconds was the second-fastest time in school history. Meisner finished eighth with a season-best time of 53.26 seconds, while Koji Takahashi (Etobicoke, Ontario/Silverthorn) was right behind him in ninth at 53.40 seconds.

Swimming in his second event of the night, Busscher was fourth in the 200-yard freestyle, clocking-in at 1:43.57 to break his own school record. Jason Wheatley (Portage/Central) finished ninth (1:46.38), followed by Rick Kinsey (Chelsea) in 12th (1:49.30).

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Meisner was the runner-up finisher with a NCAA Championships "B" cut time of 58.51 seconds. With the finish, he placed second in the 100 breast for four straight years at the MIAA Championships. Ryan Key (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy Prep) swam to a fifth-place time of 59.28 seconds. McMunigal placed 12th (1:02.76).

Olivet's 800-yard freestyle relay team of Steven Davis (Davidsville, Md./DeMatha), Busscher, Wheatley and Maxwell touched the wall third in 7:05.54.

The third and final day of action begins tomorrow morning with prelims at 10 a.m., followed by finals at 6 p.m.