GRANTHAM, Pa. – This weekend the Messiah men's swimming team will be in action in the 2023 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships at the Graham Aquatic Center in York, Pa. Earlier this week, the Falcons were picked to finish fifth in the conference in the Pre-Championship Poll.
The four-day MAC Championships are scheduled to take place over eight sessions beginning on Thursday, Feb. 9 and concluding Sunday, Feb. 12. Each day will feature a morning session with prelims at 9:30 a.m. and an evening session beginning at 5:30 p.m. that will feature the finals.
See below for a quick preview of the action this weekend:
Last Season
A year ago, the Falcons finished in sixth place at the MAC Championships, earning 651 points.
PJ Cronauer was the lone Falcon to earn an All-Conference honor, taking first in the 1650 Free with a time of 16:39.64. His time was a new program record for the Falcons.
2023 Regular Season
This season, Messiah has put together a strong campaign this season, picking up 10 wins in dual matches against just two losses. The Falcons went 9-2 against teams from the conference. The Falcons' 10 dual victories are tied for their most in a single season. Messiah also claimed 10 dual victories during the 2014-15 season when they went 10-6.
In addition to their strong dual campaign, Messiah wrapped up the fall semester at the Misericordia Cougar Splash Invitational in late November. The Falcons finished in fourth place out of six teams in action that weekend.
What to Watch For
The Falcons have a total of 14 marks ranked in the top-10 of an event according to the psych sheet that was released earlier this week. Additionally, all five of Messiah's 'A' relay teams are ranked in the top-10 of their events.
PJ Cronauer and
Avery Barley lead the Falcons with three individual marks in the top-10 with
Isaac McCabe holds two.
Cronauer is the top seed in the 1650 Free (10:12.42 seed time) while also holding top-three seed times in the 500 Free (4:50.42) and the 200 Free (1:45.94).
Avery Barley's top-10 marks come in the 100 Back (52.26, second), 200 Back (2:02.43, ninth), and the 200 IM (2:02.11, 10th).
Messiah Men's Swimming Top-10 Times on Psych Sheet
200 Free - 1:45.94 -
PJ Cronauer, 3rd
500 Free - 4:50.42 -
PJ Cronauer, 3rd
1650 Free - 10:12.42 -
PJ Cronauer, 1st
100 Back - 52.26 -
Avery Barley, 2nd
200 Back - 2:02.43 -
Avery Barley, 9th
200 IM - 2:02.11 -
Avery Barley, 10th
200 Breast - 2:13.81 -
Isaac McCabe, 7th
100 Breast - 1:00.30 -
Isaac McCabe, 8th
200 Fly - 2:04.49 -
Dylan Yellets - 8th
100 Fly - 53.95 -
Dylan Yellets - 10th
1650 Free - 10:42.94 -
Ben Pinto, 7th
200 Fly - 2:05.00 -
Ben Pinto, 9th
100 Fly - 53.70 -
Noah Siegrist, 8th
50 Free - 21.83 -
Mark Lukens, 6th
200 Medley Relay - 1:37.65 - 7th
200 Free Relay - 1:29.05 - 8th
400 Medley Relay - 3:36.56 - 6th
800 Free Relay - 7:19.51 - 4th
400 Free Relay - 3:18.38 - 7th
2023 MAC Men's Swimming Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll
1 – Stevens - 169 (13)
2 – Arcadia - 146
3 - York (Pa.) - 145
4 – Misericordia - 131
5 – Messiah - 126
6 – Widener - 113
7 – Hood - 100
8 – Stevenson - 80
9 – Lycoming - 64
10 - King's - 62
11 - FDU-Florham - 49
12 – Albright - 38
13 - Lebanon Valley - 30
14 – Wilkes - 21
How To Follow
Fans can follow the MAC Championships via the following links below or at the top of this article.
Championship Homepage
Live Results
Live Video
Schedule of Events
Psych Sheet
Messiah's Championship History
Messiah has competed in 14 conference championships in men's swimming. Over the last decade-plus, the Falcons have finished in the top six in every year, including 13-straight top-five finishes from 2009-2021. Messiah's highest finish came in 2016 and 2018 with third-place finishes both years.
In total, Messiah has claimed 10 individual gold medals and one relay gold in program history at the MAC Championships.
Avery Barley is the most decorated individual swimmer in program history with three individual golds at the 2020 Championship in the 100 Fly, 100 Back, and 200 Back en route to a Rookie of the Year honor.
