Viking men finish 4-2 in dual meets and fourth at CCIW Championships; Jared Ekberg and Jacob Speechley each break school records
 
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The 2016-17 swimming & diving season saw Coach Dan Lloyd's Augustana team win four of six dual meets and finish fourth at the CCIW Championships. Two school records fell, as sophomore Jared Ekberg (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) broke Aaron Holt's 2015 200 backstroke record by more than three and a half seconds and junior Jacob Speechley (Lockport HS, Lockport, Ill.) took down the 100 freestyle mark set by Matt Simcock in 2003.
 
The Vikings logged three dual meet wins to open the season. On October 29, they defeated Knox (161-56) and Loras (183-18) by sizeable margins. Lloyd's tankers dominated, winning nine individual events and two relays. Individual winners included Ekberg in the 100 backstroke, Adam Smith (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) in the 1000 freestyle, Connor Bullard (Rockford Auburn HS, Loves Park, Ill.) in the 200 freestyle and Souhail Rhafiri (Rabat, Morocco) in the 100 freestyle. Spencer Mason (Arrowhead HS, Pewaukee, Wis.) took both the one meter and three meter diving events. Bryan Haage (Huntley HS, Huntley, Ill.) was a winner in the 200 individual medley, Ian Disteldorf (Brother Rice HS, Oak Forest, Ill.) in the 100 breaststroke and Kyle Workman (Morrison HS, Morrison, Ill.) in the 500 freestyle. Ekberg, Haage and Disteldorf swam on winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. They were joined on the medley unit by Christopher Wilson (Bradford-on-Tone, United Kingdom) and on the freestyle quartet by Rhafiri.
 
On November 18, Augustana traveled to Monmouth and won eight of 11 events in downing the Scots 137-68. Ekberg was one of six individual winners (100 backstroke) and swam on both winning relays. He teamed with Disteldorf, Wilson and Luke Herron (Vail Christian HS, Edwards, Colo.) to win the 200 medley relay and Haage, Nate Prescher (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) and Herron to take the 200 freestyle relay. Additional winners were Disteldorf (100 breaststroke), Wilson (100 butterfly), Smith (1000 freestyle) and Zach Ogden (United Township HS, Silvis, Ill.) (200 individual medley).
 
The next day, the Vikings finished second among seven teams at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational in Bloomington, Illinois. Ekberg won the 100 backstroke and teamed with Disteldorf, Haage and Herron to win the 200 medley relay. His combined performances at Monmouth and Bloomington earned him CCIW Swimmer of the Week honors.
 
Ekberg (200 IM, 100 backstroke), Haage (200 IM) and the Augustana 400 freestyle relay team (Speechley, Haage, Herron, Ekberg) all placed seventh or higher while facing NCAA Division I and II competition at the Jean Freeman Invitational in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 2-3. No team scores were compiled.
 
Carthage handed the Vikings their first dual meet loss, 184-93 in Kenosha, Wisconsin on January 7.  Ekberg won the 200 backstroke and Smith captured the 1000 freestyle.
 
On January 20-21, Augustana finished third of eight teams at the Grinnell Invitational. Ekberg (100 backstroke) and Speechley (100 freestyle) were individual winners on day one and both swam with Haage and Disteldorf on the winning 200 freestyle relay. Haage, Disteldorf, Ekberg and Speechley set a meet record in winning the 400 freestyle relay and the same four also took the 200 medley relay on day two. Speechley's effort earned him CCIW Swimmer of the Week recognition.
 
The final warm-up before the conference meet was a double dual at Wheaton on January 28. The Vikings hammered North Central 189-49, but were nipped by the host Thunder 129-125. Ekberg was a four-time winner, claiming the 100 and 200 backstrokes and the 200 individual medley and handling the third leg of the victorious 200 freestyle relay.  Haage, Disteldorf and Speechley joined him.
 
Both school records fell at the CCIW Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Ekberg swam a 1:50.86 to break Holt's mark of 1:54.49 set two years ago. Speechley led off the 400 freestyle relay with a :46.81 split, beating Simcock's 100 freestyle record by five one-hundredths of a second. Host Carthage, with 956 points, won the event, while Augustana totaled 355 to finish fourth.

 
2017 CCIW Swimming & Diving Championship
February 3-4, 2017—Bloomington, Ill. (Diving)
February 9-11, 2017—Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (Swimming)
 
Team Results:  1. Carthage 956; 2. Rose-Hulman 763; 3. Wheaton 667; 4. AUGUSTANA 355; 5. Illinois Wesleyan 257; 6. Carroll 233; 7. Millikin 108; 8. North Central 104
 
Individual Champions and Augustana finishers
50 freestyle: 1. Lee Holman, Carthage :20.84; 14. Jake Speechley, AUGUSTANA :21.81
100 freestyle: 1. Chris Russo, Carthage :45.88; 8. Jacob Speechley, AUGUSTANA :47.03; 10. Bryan Haage, AUGUSTANA :47.42
200 freestyle: 1. Chris Russo, Carthage 1:41.71; 4. Jacob Speechley, AUGUSTANA 1:43.57; 12. Adam Smith, AUGUSTANA 1:46.54
500 freestyle: 1. Will McCauley, Wheaton 4:34.82; 12. Adam Smith, AUGUSTANA 4:49.17
1650 freestyle: 1. Will McCauley, Wheaton 16:04.65; 8. Adam Smith, AUGUSTANA 16:57.75
100 backstroke: 1. Chris Szymczak, Wheaton :49.92; 2. Jared Ekberg, AUGUSTANA :50.20
200 backstroke: 1. Chris Szymczak, Wheaton 1:48.14; 2. Jared Ekberg, AUGUSTANA 1:50.86
100 breaststroke: 1. Chris Riordan, Carthage :55.54; 7. Bryce Dibadj, AUGUSTANA 1:00.36; 8. Ian Disteldorf, AUGUSTANA 1:00.57; 14. Robert Chaney, AUGUSTANA 1:02.16
200 breaststroke: 1. Chris Riordan, Carthage 2:04.82; 8. Bryce Dibadj, AUGUSTANA 2:14.35; 11. Ian Disteldorf, AUGUSTANA 2:15.56; 14. Souhail Rhafiri, AUGUSTANA 2:16.37; 15. Robert Chaney, AUGUSTANA 2:16.82
100 butterfly: 1. Pierce Bartine, Rose-Hulman :49.39; 15. Tito Quinones, AUGUSTANA :54.53
200 butterfly:  1. Chris Dingfield, Wheaton 1:49.70; 12. Christopher Wilson, AUGUSTANA 2:04.06; 15. Anthony Santangelo, AUGUSTANA 2:08.22
200 IM: 1. Nick Sall, Carthage 1:52.86; 4. Jared Ekberg, AUGUSTANA 1:53.35; 8. Bryan Haage, AUGUSTANA 1:55.87
400 IM: 1. Will McCauley, Wheaton 3:59.99; 7. Bryan Haage, AUGUSTANA 4:15.21
200 freestyle relay: 1. Carthage 1:23.29; 4. AUGUSTANA (Bryan Haage, Jared Ekberg, Ian Disteldorf, Jacob Speechely) 1:24.85
400 freestyle relay: 1. Carthage 3:04.12; 4. AUGUSTANA (Jake Speechley, Bryan Haage, Ian Disteldorf, Jared Ekberg) 3:07.37
800 freestyle relay: 1. Wheaton 6:51.59; 5. AUGUSTANA (Adam Smith, Kyle Workman, Souhail Rhafiri, Bryan Haage) 7:10.42
200 medley relay: 1. Carthage 1:32.25; 4. AUGUSTANA (Jared Ekberg, Ian Disteldorf, Christopher Wilson, Jake Speechley) 1:34.84
400 medley relay: 1. Carthage 3:20.98; 3. AUGUSTANA (Jared Ekberg, Ian Disteldorf, Bryan Haage, Jake Speechley) 3:27.27
One-meter diving: 1. Connor Pierson, Carthage 422.85; 9. Tom Pham, AUGUSTANA 199.40
Three-meter diving: 1. Aaron San Juan, Carthage 458.25
 
2016-17 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES
DUAL MEET RECORD: 4-2
COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN FINISH: 4th with 355 points
SCHOOL RECORDS: 100 freestyle (:46.81) Jacob Speechley... 200 backstroke (1:50.86) Jared Ekberg
CCIW ALL-CONFERENCE: Jared Ekberg.
CCIW SWIMMER OF THE WEEK: Jared Ekberg, 11/22/16; Jacob Speechley, 1/24/17
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Bryce Dibadj, Bryan Haage, Quinn Landoch, Spencer Mason, John McDonaugh, Zachary Ogden, Thao Pham, Souhail Rhafiri, Anthony Santangelo, Jacob Speechley, Kyle Workman
TEAM FINISHES IN INVITATIONALS: Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on 11/19/16 – 2nd of 7... Grinnell Invitational on 1/20-21/17 – 3rd of 8
INVITATIONAL INDIVIDUAL & RELAY CHAMPIONS
Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on 11/19/16 – 100 backstroke (:52.72) Jared Ekberg; 200 medley relay (1:37.76) Jared Ekberg, Ian Disteldorf, Bryan Haage, Luke Herron   
Grinnell Invitational on 1/20-21/17 – 100 freestyle (:47.81) Jacob Speechley; 100 backstroke (:52.44) Jared Ekberg; 200 freestyle relay (1:27.02) Jared Ekberg, Bryan Haage, Ian Disteldorf, Jacob Speechley; 400 freestyle relay (3:11.71) Bryan Haage, Ian Disteldorf, Jared Ekberg, Jacob Speechley; 200 medley relay (1:36.74) Jared Ekberg, Ian Disteldorf, Bryan Haage, Jacob Speechley
 
ALL-TIME TOP 10 LISTS
Jacob Speechley: 100 freestyle (1st – :46.81); 200 freestyle (2nd – 1:43.57)
Jared Ekberg: 200 backstroke (1st – 1:50.86); 50 freestyle (4th - :21.62) 
Bryan Haage: 400 IM (2nd – 4:12.08); 100 freestyle (4th – :47.22)
Bryce Dibadj: 200 breaststroke (5th – 2:13.37)
Souhail Rhafiri: 200 breaststroke (8th – 2:16.37)
Robert Chaney: 200 breaststroke (9th – 2:16.82)
Adam Smith: 1650 freestyle (3rd – 16:57.75); 500 freestyle (4th – 4:49.10); 1000 freestyle (7th – 10:27.63); 200 freestyle (10th – 1:46.36)

TEAM AWARDS:
MVP: Jared Ekberg
SPIRIT: Robert Chaney
BEST RELAY PERFORMER: Jacob Speechley
BEST DIVER: Tom Pham
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE: Ian Disteldorf
HIGHEST GPA FRESHMAN: J.P. McDonaugh
HIGHEST GPA UPPERCLASSMEN: Anthony Santangelo