LEXINGTON, Va. — The fourth and final day of the NJIT men's swimming and diving team's fourth America East Championships ended on Saturday evening, with the Highlanders finishing the conference meet in fourth place overall (514.50 pts) and a mere 3.50 points shy of third place UMBC (518 pts).

Binghamton won the men's championship with 795.50 points while Bryant finished as the runner up with 709.50 points. Maine placed fifth with 376.50 points and VMI took sixth (306 pts).

DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS

• The Highlanders were the only men's side to produce two student athlete major award winners, with freshman Laith Sabbah being named Rookie of the Meet and senior Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar repeating as the America East Elite 18 winner as the men's student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the Championships (4.0, Chemical Engineering).
• Sabbah earned the Highlanders' lone gold of the competition with a win in the 200 Back after clocking a VMI pool record and NCAA B cut qualifying 1:44.01 (20 pts). NJIT went 1-2 in the event as Sam Deemer took second in 1:45.00 (17 pts).
• Francois Malherbe picked up a bronze in the 100 Free after a time of 44.23 (16 pts).
• Malherbe and Sabbah teamed with Tanish Chhabra and Dylan Ostolaza to earn silver in the 400 Free Relay with a time of 2:58.73 (34 pts).

OTHER NOTES

• Sabbah is the first Highlander to earn AESD Rookie honors since Horstkamp-Vinekar earned the accolade during NJIT's AE debut in 2021.
• Horstkamp-Vinekar is only the second men's student-athlete ever to repeat as Elite 18 winner and first since Connor Ganley of UMBC from 2018-19.

CLOSE CALLS

• Dylan Ostolaza: 4th in 200 Back (1:48.07, 15 pts)
• Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar: 4th in 200 Fly (1:49.02, 15 pts)

OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS

• 200 Back B Final: Michael McGillycuddy (13th, 1:53.65; 4 pts) and Reilly Vann (16th, 2:00.71; 1 pt)
• 100 Free A Final: Tanish Chhabra (8th, 45.41; 11 pts)
• 100 Free B Final: Zac Kuzak (15th, 46.37, 2 pts)
• 100 Free C Final: Aidan Blackmon (18th, 46.63)
• 200 Breast B Final: Bartosz Bryg (9th, 2:03.99; 9 pts), Matthew Bevan (13th, 2:06.67; 4pts) and Michael Schober (16th, 2:10.09; 1 pt)
• 200 Fly B Final: Ryan Hause (13th, 1:55.27; 4 pts)

MEDAL TOTALS AFTER DAY 4
Gold

• 200 Back: Laith Sabbah*

Silver

• 800 Free Relay: Francois Malherbe/Laith Sabbah/Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar/Zac Kuzak
• 50 Free: Francois Malherbe*
• 100 Fly: Francois Malherbe*
• 200 Free: Laith Sabbah*
• 100 Back: Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar*
• 200 Back: Sam Deemer*
• 400 Free Relay: Francois Malherbe/Laith Sabbah/Tanish Chhabra/Dylan Ostolaza

Bronze

• 100 Free: Francois Malherbe*

* AE All-Conference honors (given to top 3 individual finishers in events or winning relay teams)

INDIVIDUAL MEDAL TOTALS

• Francois Malherbe: 5 (4 S, 1 B)
• Laith Sabbah: 4 (1 G, 3 S)
• Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar: 2 (2 S)
• Zac Kuzak: 1 (1 S)
• Sam Deemer: 1 (1 S)
• Tanish Chhabra: 1 (1 S)
• Dylan Ostolaza: 1 (1 S)

SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN AT CHAMPIONSHIPS (10)

1. 50 Free: Francois Malherbe (19.75)
2. 200 Free: Laith Sabbah (1:37.07)
3. 500 Free: Laith Sabbah (4:28.77)
4. 100 Back: Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar (48.44)
5. 200 Back: Laith Sabbah (1:44.01)
6. 100 Fly: Francois Malherbe (47.51)
7. 200 Free Relay: Tanish Chhabra, Aidan Blackmon, Dylan Ostolaza, Francois Malherbe (1:20.93)
8. 400 Free Relay: Francois Malherbe, Laith Sabbah, Tanish Chhabra, Dylan Ostolaza (2:58.73)
9. 400 Medley Relay: Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar, Bartosz Bryg, Francois Malherbe, Laith Sabbah (3:16.90)
10. 800 Free Relay: Francois Malherbe, Laith Sabbah, Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar, Zac Kuzak (6:33.87)

NEXT UP
NJIT will take the next month to prepare for the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, taking place from March 14-16 in Ocala, Fla.

ALL-TIME NJIT AMERICA EAST MEDALS (2021-2024)
 

ATHLETE	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar	100 Back (2022), 200 Medley Relay (2021), 800 Free Relay (2021), 200 Back (2021), 200 Fly (2021)	100 Free (2024), 800 Free Relay (2024), 200 Fly (2023), 100 Back (2023), 200 Back (2022), 800 Free Relay (2022), 100 Fly (2021), 400 Free Relay (2021)	800 Free Relay (2023), 200 Medley Relay (2023), 400 Medley Relay (2022), 200 Medley Relay (2022), 400 Medley Relay (2021)	18
Edward Madrigal	200 Medley Relay (2021), 800 Free Relay (2021), 100 Back (2021)	100 Fly (2022), 800 Free Relay (2022), 400 Free Relay (2021)	100 Back (2022), 400 Medley Relay (2022), 200 Free Relay (2022), 200 Medley Relay (2022), 100 Fly (2021), 400 Medley Relay (2021)	12
Joshua Franco	200 Medley Relay (2021), 800 Free Relay (2021)	800 Free Relay (2022), 400 Free Relay (2021)	200 Free (2022), 400 Medley Relay (2022), 200 Free Relay (2022), 400 Medley Relay (2021)	8
Francois Malherbe		800 Free Relay (2024), 50 Free (2024), 100 Fly (2024), 400 Free Relay (2024)	100 Free (2024)	5
Laith Sabbah	200 Back (2024)	800 Free Relay (2024), 200 Free (2024), 400 Free Relay (2024)		4
Aidan Blackmon			200 Free Relay (2023), 200 Medley Relay (2023), 200 Free Relay (2022), 200 Medley Relay (2022)	4
Matthew Bevan	800 Free Relay (2021)		200 Medley Relay (2023), 400 Medley Relay (2022), 200 Medley Relay (2022)	4
Tanish Chhabra		400 Free Relay (2024)	200 Free Relay (2023), 200 Medley Relay (2023), 100 Free (2022)	4
Nicholas Lyons	200 Medley Relay (2021)	400 Free Relay (2021)	400 Medley Relay (2021)	3
Zac Kuzak		800 Free Relay (2024)	200 Free Relay (2023), 800 Free Relay (2023)	3
Sam Deemer		200 Back (2024), 200 Back (2023)		2
Dylan Ostolaza		400 Free Relay (2024)	200 Free Relay (2023)	1
Hirad Sharifian			800 Free Relay (2023)	1
Oxford Bayley			800 Free Relay (2023)	1
Michael Schober		800 Free Relay (2022)		1