For the third time this season, sophomore Artur Osvath earned MAC Swimmer of the Week honors after his performances at Drury and the University of Missouri, announced by the league Thursday. This marks the fifth swimmer of the week award of his career.
Osvath had an excellent week in the pool, picking up five victories – four individual and one relay – and three “B” standard times against nationally ranked opponents Drury and the University of Missouri.
Against Drury, who is ranked third in NCAA Division II, Osvath was perfect in the pool after earning three crowns on the day. Racing as the third leg of the men’s 200-yard medley relay, Osvath assisted his squad in touching the wall first with a time of 1:30.98. The sophomore swam his leg of the race in 21.21 seconds. In his second victory of the day, Osvath broke the Breech Pool record in the 200yd individual medley, set by former Bear swimmer Uvis Kalnins in 2014, after he finished the race with a season best, “B” standard time of 1:48.84. The Hungary native capped of the day with a dominant, 48.50 second victory in the 100yd butterfly, in which he finished almost two seconds ahead of the runner-up.
Against No. 15 ranked Missouri, Osvath claimed a huge victory and achieved “B” standards in the 200yd fly, touching the wall in 1:47.04 – which was over two seconds faster than the Missouri runner-up. In his second individual event of the day, the 200yd breaststroke, the sophomore took first-place once again after he out-touched Fabian Schwingerschoegl of Missouri by .60 seconds in his 1:58.36, “B” standard performance.
Osvath now leads the conference in the 200yd breast and 200yd fly while sitting second in the 100yd breast, 100yd fly and 200yd IM. Nationally, the sophomore ranks 54th in the 100yd breast, 16th in the 200yd breast and 83rd in the 200yd fly.
The Bears hit the pool for their last non-conference meet Jan. 27-28 at the Shamrock Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame, in Notre Dame, Ind. For more information on the Missouri State men’s swimming and diving team visitwww.missouristatebears.com or Twitter (@MoStateSwim).
