2023 MAC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 1 – Saturday, March 4, 2023
- Oxford, OH
- Defending Champions
- Men: Miami (OH) (2x)
- Live Results
- Live Video
- Championship Central
- Fan Guide
The 2023 MAC Championships officially begin on Wednesday evening with a relay session, but the action is already heating up in Oxford Ohio.
19-year-old Southern Illinois freshman Ruard van Renen popped off a 44.89 in a men’s 100-yard backstroke time trial.
That swim is well under the conference record of 46.58 that van Renen set mid-season. Coming into the season, the record was a 46.66 set by Eastern Michigan’s Jacob Hanson in 2018. While the time counts for NCAA qualifying purposes, NCAA rules don’t allow swims from time trials to set records.
The time also ranks him tied-for-7th in the NCAA this season in the event. With only the MAC Championships, the Pac-12 Championships, and a few last chance meets remaining on the schedule before invites are sent out, that essentially guarantees him a spot at NCAAs.
Southern Illinois’ last NCAA qualifier was Marcelo Possato in 2005. The last MAC qualifiers for the NCAA Championships came in 2019, when Missouri State’s Blair Bish and Artur Osvath both qualified.
The next-best 100 backstroker this season from outside of a Power 5 conference is Queens’ Alex Bauch, who went 46.04 in the fall.
Van Renen is a native of South Africa and joined the team for his inaugural NCAA season in the fall. Southern Illinois assistant Johno Fergusson was born in South Africa.
Van Renen has represented South Africa at a few minor international meets, including the FINA World Cup Series and the African Championships. Last August, he won African titles as part of South Africa’s men’s 400 free and mixed 400 medley relays. He also won bronze medals individually in the 50 back, 100 back, and men’s 400 medley relay.
Race Video:
Southern Illinois had a good session as a group before officially starting the meet. They also time-trialed a 200 free relay, where Alex Santiago split 19.03 and Donat Csurvarski split 19.26 on the last two legs en route to a 1:19.59.
Wow what a huge swim for Renen should be going to nationals. Only .1 off the A cut could make some noise there.
The depressing thing is the other guy looks like he went 55.7 which was right around my best time in college 40 years ago……
This was the most out-of-left-field article I can remember since Coley was replaced by Margo Geer at Bama
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one
– Chancellor Palpatine
I don’t understand how there’s so many fast swimmers these days.
10 years ago a 44 in a hundred fly or back was legendary, now over a dozen people have swam that time.
Check out the names-most are international and more than happy to come to swim in the United States at whatever school they can attend.
There have always been international swimmers in the NCAA. Most of them weren’t dropping 44.
Exactly. Tom Shields underwaters and 100 fly/back double blew my mind, and cielos 40.92/18.47 were the videos to watch on YouTube to see something impossible. Now the field has caught up. Which is why medals matter far more than records. Medals are forever
It really does take another level of skill to go from 10-12 meters off of each wall to 15 meters off of each wall. Love to see it
I was about to say, “Video or it didn’t happen” and then wallah, I am proven wrong. Such a fast kid going to a no name school, he’s putting them on the map!
voila
Viola
Check out old NCAA championships from 80’s and 90’s. SIU used to be a nationally ranked team. Not totally a “no-name school.”
Yeah, like their mile record is a 14:54 from 1985! Also done by a South African and still a good time today
Shouts out my boy Corne, who I think runs the rec center at SIU now.
voilà
He already has the conference record from midseason. The MAC hasn’t updated the record book on their website since 21-22
Also, Artur Osvath of Missouri State also qualified for NCAA’s in 2019
Thanks, will get that updated.
Southern Illinois’ last NCAA qualifier was Celia Pulido who swam at the 2022 NCAA championships in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke. If you mean the last Saluki man to qualify for NCAA championships, it’s probably Marcelo Possato in 2005.