WORCESTER, MASS. — The NJIT men's swimming and diving team concluded its third-ever America East Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday evening. The Highlanders' quest for a third consecutive team podium spot was snapped with a fourth place finish (434 points) but the team did end Day 4 with two more medals to end the league meet with six overall (three individual silvers and three relay bronzes).

Junior Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar earned the America East Elite 18 award for men's swimming and diving as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the final site of one of the conference's 18 team championships. The junior Chemical Engineering major from Cumberland, R.I. currently boasts a 4.00 GPA.

 

When they're not crushing it in the pool, catch these 2️⃣ crushing it in the classroom! Erin Doruska of @Bryant_SwimDive and Ian Horskampt-Vinekar of @NJITSwimDive are the #AESD Elite 18 winners! pic.twitter.com/2GYPlBja0E

— America East (@AmericaEast) February 26, 2023

HIGHLANDER MEDALISTS
200 Fly

• Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar: 2nd - 1:48.82 (A Final)

200 Back

• Sam Deemer: 2nd - 1:47.92 (A Final)

EVENT FINALISTS
1650 Free

• Ryan Wilbur: 4th - 16:01.44 (school record)
• Keegan Wooding: 8th - 16:15.98
• Oxford Bayley: 9th - 16:18.82
• Reilly Vann: 16th - 16:58.09

200 Back

• Jake Nelms: 8th - 1:52.67 (A Final)*
• Dylan Ostolaza: 11th - 1:51.41 (B Final)
• Michael McGillycuddy: 15th - 1:55.34 (B Final)

*Won a swim-off against Bryant's Jack Ossi to advance out of Prelims

100 Free

• Tanish Chhabra: 7th - 45.34 (A Final)
• Zac Kuzak: 18th - 46.24 (C Final)
• Hirad Sharifian: 21st - 46.77 (C Final)

200 Breast

• Andrew Lucky: 11th - 2:04.67 (B Final)
• Matthew Bevan: 12th - 2:05.66 (B Final)
• Michael Schober: 16th - 2:11.65 (B Final)
• Carlos David Carrasquillo: 17th - 2:10.29 (C Final)

200 Fly

• Aidan Blackmon: 14th - 1:57.44 (B Final)
• John Kim: 16th - 1:58.14 (B Final)

400 Free Relay

• Zac Kuzak/Tanish Chhabra/Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar/Hirad Sharifian: 4th - 3:02.82

FINAL MEN'S STANDINGS 
1. UMBC - 855.5
2. Binghamton - 792.5
3. Bryant - 615
4. NJIT - 434
5. VMI - 302
6. Maine - 273

FINAL MEDAL TALLY: 6 (3 SILVER | 3 BRONZE)
Silver

• 100 Back: Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar
• 200 Fly: Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar
• 200 Back: Sam Deemer

Bronze

• 200 Free Relay: Zac Kuzak/Tanish Chhabra/Aidan Blackmon/Dylan Ostolaza
• 800 Free Relay: Zac Kuzak/Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar/Hirad Sharifian/Oxford Bayley
• 200 Medley Relay: Aidan Blackmon/Matthew Bevan/Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar/Tanish Chhabra

MEDALS BY ATHLETE (9 HIGHLANDERS)

1. Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar: 4 (2 Individual | 2 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 16 (5 G, 6 S, 5 B)
2. Aidan Blackmon: 2 (2 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 4 (4 B)
3. Tanish Chhabra: 2 (2 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 4 (4 B)
4. Zac Kuzak: 2 (2 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 2 (2 B)
5. Matthew Bevan: 1 (1 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 4 (1G, 3 B)
6. Sam Deemer: 1 (1 Individual)
   1. Career AE Medals: 1 (1 S)
7. Dylan Ostolaza: 1 (1 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 1 (1 B)
8. Oxford Bayley: 1 (1 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 1 (1 B)
9. Hirad Sharifian: 1 (1 Relay)
   1. Career AE Medals: 1 (1 B)

NEXT UP
NJIT will close out the 2022-23 campaign at the annual CSCAA National Invitational, taking place March 9-11 at the Beacon Health Aquatic Center in Elkhart, Indiana.