2023 MIAA RELAYS RESULTS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin men's swimming and diving team dominated the 2023 MIAA Relays, taking first place in eight of the nine swimming events Friday night inside the Venema Aquatic Center.

The annual competition included a mix of traditional and non-traditional relay events.

Calvin opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:32.26. Calvin's relay consisted of sophomore Charles Platt (Downers Grove, Il./Downers Grove South HS), freshman Caleb Gemmen (Mentor, Oh./Home School), senior Julien Camy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) and senior Forrest Peterson (Middleton, Wisc./Middleton HS).

Calvin's 200 backstroke relay of junior David Bajwa (Bethesda, Md./The Heights School), sophomore Timothy Hays (Arlington Heights, Il./Prospect HS), senior Corey Campbell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Platt cruised to a win in a time of 1:32.95.

In the 200 breaststroke relay, sophomore Josh Krampe (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern HS), Gemmen, junior Anthony Crudele (Aurora, Il./Home School) and freshman Mohammed Abujiba (Cairo, Egypt/Summits International School) clocked in with a winning time of 1:48.67.

Calvin took the 500 yard progressive relay in a time of 4:09.78. The relay team was made up of Peterson, Platt, Bajwa and junior Josh Seidelman (Northville, Mich./Northville HS).

Calvin's 200 butterfly relay of Camy, Peterson, Campbell and Hay won with a time of 1:30.29.

The mixed co-ed 200 Calvin medley relay of freshman Emma Merkel (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville HS), Caleb Gemmen, Forrest Peterson and sophomore Meghan Bengelink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian HS) won in a time of 1:39.24.

in the 4x100 IM relay, Bajwa, senior Eric Chimes (Broadview Heights, Oh./Brecksville-Broadview HS) Abujiba and Hays took home a win in a time of 3:31.61.

Calvin's 200 freestyle relay team of Bajwa, senior Vlad Molin (Rolling Meadows, Il./Rolling Meadows HS), Campbell and Peterson won in a time of 1:24.13.

The only Calvin relay not to win was its 1500 freestyle relay with the distance trio of freshman Ryan Halberg (Novi, Mich./Northville HS), Seidelman and Chimes racing stroke for stroke for nearly the entire race with Hope's relay before taking second in 14:43.40, less than a second behind the Flying Dutchmen's winning time of 14:42.56.

COACHES COMMENT: "Coming into the meet we wanted to be enthusiastic, aggressive and just to believe in what we are doing and in each other," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "I thought we followed that race plan flawlessly and got some great performances tonight. Even as the meet went along, we were putting up great times. It's what we called a 'lactate set' where our swimmers are pushing through some fatigue but still finding a way. I'm proud of them and this helps set our team up well moving forward."

NEXT UP: Calvin will host a triangular next Friday night at 5 p.m. against Albion and Alma inside the Venema Aquatic Center.