Contact: Jenna McElroy, Sports Info & Social Media Intern, mcelroy@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College is shooting for its fourth consecutive Midwest Conference (MWC) Men’s Swimming Championship and the coaches believe it will succeed. The Pioneers earned a perfect 64 points and eight first place votes in the annual preseason poll.
 
Lake Forest College picked up the final first place first for 57 points and second place in the coaches’ poll while Ripon College followed in third with 47 points. At the 2018 MWC Championship, Lawrence University finished just 14 points behind the Red Hawks and are right behind the in the preseason poll with 40 points.
 
St. Norbert College will be participating in swimming and diving for the first time for the 2018-19 season. The Green Knights enter in fifth place (35), five back of the Vikings and four up on Monmouth College (31).
 
Completing the poll are Illinois College in seventh (23), Beloit College in eighth (16), and Knox College with nine points for ninth.
 
Beloit and Lawrence get the season started on Saturday as they take part in the All-Wisconsin Showcase while Knox heads to Monmouth for a triangular with North Central. Ripon closes out opening weekend as they host Loras College for a dual meet.
 
Below is a team-by-team preview.
 
Beloit
Head Coach: Kevin Schober (17th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 7th
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 8th
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Joe Stephenson – 50 Yard Freestyle (21.74 – 3rd MWC Championship), 100 Yard Freestyle (49.25 – 13th MWC Championship), 200 Yard Freestyle (1:51.00 – 14th MWC Championship)
Meshach Roberts – 1650 Yard Freestyle (18:08.63 – 12th MWC Championship), 100 Yard Backstroke (57.03 – 12th MWC Championship), 200 Yard Backstroke (2:06.23 – 11th MWC Championship),
Wil Kangas-Olson – 1 Meter Dive (393.55 – 3rd MWC Championship)
 
Grinnell
Head Coach: Erin Hurley (24th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 1st
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 1st
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Paul Cover – 200 Yard Freestyle (1:48.58), 500 Yard Freestyle (4:42.47 – MWC Champion), 100 Yard Fly (51.24 – MWC Champion), 200 Yard Fly (1:55.24 – MWC Champion), 100 Yard Backstroke (57.60)
William Lindell – 200 Yard IM (2:03.21), 400 Yard IM (4:07.52 – MWC Champion), 200 Yard Fly (2:03.11), 100 Yard Breaststroke (58.42 – 2nd MWC Championship), 200 Yard Breaststroke (2:04.87 – MWC Champion)
Jackson Thompson – 100 Yard Backstroke (53.12 – 4th MWC Championship), 200 Yard Backstroke (1:57.44 – 3rd MWC Championship), 400 Yard IM (4:27.88) – 7th MWC Championship)
Jon Rebelsky – 1 Meter Dive (316.00 – 4th MWC Championship), 3 Meter Dive (304.45 – 3rd MWC Championship)
Charlie Paquette – 1 Meter Dive (254.55 – 6th MWC Championship), 3 Meter Dive (249.90 – 5th MWC Championship)
 
Illinois College
Head Coach: Chris Sykes (7th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 6th
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 7th
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Mike Weisenfelder – 50 Yard Freestyle (22.34 – 9th MWC Championship), 100 Yard Freestyle (49.86 – 14th MWC Championship), 200 Yard Freestyle (1:56.19), 100 Yard Breaststroke (1:03.29 – 14th MWC Championship)
Martin Ambre – 200 Yard Freestyle (1:45.84 – 5th MWC Championship), 500 Yard Freestyle (4:49.81 – 7th MWC Championship), 1650 Yard Freestyle (17:14.47 – 6th MWC Championship)
 
Knox
Head Coach: Jonathan Powers (11th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 8th
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 9th
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Joseph Hilger – 100 Yard Breaststroke (1:15.66), 200 Yard Breaststroke (2:48.59), 50 Yard Freestyle (26.46)
Errol Kaylor – 100 Yard Freestyle (1:05.20), 200 Yard Freestyle (2:22.17)
Fred Lehman – 50 Yard Freestyle (31.54), 100 Yard Freestyle (1:08.79), 200 Yard Freestyle (2:29.99)
 
Lake Forest
Head Coach: Vadim Tashlitsky (11th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 2nd
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 2nd
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Heath Ogawa – 1 Meter Dive (567.70 – MWC Champion), 3 Meter Dive (599.75 – MWC Champion)
Max Rowland – 500 Yard Freestyle (4:44.52 – 2nd MWC Championship), 1650 Yard Freestyle (16:34.77 – 2nd MWC Championship), 400 Yard IM (4:14.07 – 3rd MWC Championship)
Evan Weller – 200 Yard Fly (1:56.06 – 2nd MWC Championship), 200 Yard IM (1:58.42 – 5th MWC Championship), 400 Yard IM (4:12.79 – 2nd MWC Championship)
Blake Rhodes – 50 Yard Freestyle (21.68 – 5th MWC Championship), 100 Yard Fly (52.84 – 6th MWC Championship)
 
Lawrence
Head Coach: Andrew Fleek (11th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 4th
Projected MWC Finish: 4th
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Anton Huchinson – 1650 Yard Freestyle (16:30.12 – MWC Champion)
 
Monmouth
Head Coach: Tom Burek (6th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 5th
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 6th
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Preston Bocchi – 100 Yard Backstroke (51.38 – MWC Champion), 200 Yard Backstroke (1:53.66 – MWC Champion), 200 Yard IM (1:56.98 – 3rd MWC Championship)
 
Ripon
Head Coach: Ryan Goggans (5th season)
2018 MWC Finish: 3rd
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 3rd
Top Returners (2017-18 Times):
 
Jack Lutter - 100 Yard Fly (53.33 – 7th MWC Championship), 100 Yard Backstroke (53.04 – 3rd MWC Championship), 200 Yard Backstroke (1:59.12 – 6th MWC Championship)
Nate Pakosz - 50 Yard Freestyle (21.49 – 2nd MWC Championship), 100 Yard Freestyle (47:24 – 3rd MWC Championship), 200 Yard Freestyle (1:47.32 – 9th MWC Championship)
Alec Sutton - 50 Yard Freestyle (22.13 – 8th MWC Championship), 100 Yard Freestyle (48.08 – 6th MWC Championship), 200 Yard Freestyle (1:47.13), 100 Yard Backstroke (54.61 – 8th MWC Championship), 200 Backstroke (2:10.09)
Carson Rose - 50 Freestyle (22.41 – 10th MWC Championship), 100 Freestyle (51.39), 200 Freestyle (2:01.59), 100 Backstroke (1:06.40), 100 Yard Fly (52.44 – 4th MWC Championship), 200 Yard Fly (2:08.04 – 7th MWC Championship)
 
St. Norbert
Head Coach: Franco Pacheco (1st season)
2018 MWC Finish: N/A
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 5^th
 
The 2018-19 will be the Green Knights will be their first swim and dive season.