HOLLAND, Mich. – The Calvin men's swimming and diving team had a big Friday at the MIAA Championships presented by Collegiate Credit Union. Friday's competition was held at the Holland Aquatics Center. The Knights won three events and established a new Calvin record and two MIAA records during the evening while recording several NCAA B' cut qualifying times.

The Knights entered the day 53.5 points behind Hope and narrowed the margin slightly on Friday, closing to within 50.5 points of the Flying Dutchmen in the team standings with one day left to compete.

Senior Charles Platt (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North HS) highlighted the night by winning the 200 freestyle in a Calvin and MIAA record time of 1:36.27. Platt broke both records in the morning prelims with a time of 1:36.95 in the morning prelims and then took more than a half-second off the morning mark in the championship finals. His time ranks fifth nationally in Division III swimming this season. Platt was part of a 1-4-5-9 Calvin finish in the race as sophomore Carter Detweiler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Council Rock North HS) was fourth (1:41.65), freshman Kellen Morford (Medina, Oh./Medina HS) fifth (1:41.72). The times by Detweiler and Morford were both season-best performances. Junior Andrew Stimpert (Normal, Ill./Normal West HS) won the consolation final to take ninth with a time of 1:42.91.

Calvin opened the evening by winning the championship and consolation finals of the 200 medley relay. Freshman Jackson Merkel (Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS), senior Caleb Gemmen (Mentor, Oh./Home School), freshman David Gabrielle (Bethlehem, Pa/ Liberty HS) and Morford won the championship final in a time of 1:28.63. Calvin's B' relay team of sophomore Logan McKinney (Jackson, Mich./Jackson HS), junior Josh Krampe (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern HS), freshman Antoine Douguet (Paris, France/Ecole Diagonale) and sophomore Andrew Taulbee (Reynoldsburg, Oh./Reynoldsburg HS) won the consolation final in a tie of 1:32.09.

Calvin came up with a fierce effort in the 400 IM with freshman Evan Haney (Goshen, Ind./Northridge HS) taking third with a career-best time of 4:02.03 while junior Logan Yakubowski (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area) was sixth with a season-best time of 4:13.08) and freshman Evan Nelson (Ada, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) seventh in 4:14.26). Sophomore John Reeder (Colorado Springs, Colo./The Classical Academy) won the consolation final in a time of 4:21.06.

The Knights piled up 89 points in the 100 butterfly with Gabrielle taking second (49.06), Taulbee placing third (49.38), Douguet fifth (50.42), junior Benjamin Wichart (Lockport, N.Y./Starpoint) taking sixth (50.99), McKinney placing seventh (51.79) and sophomore Cardin Nguyen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain) taking eighth (52.70). Krampe added an 11^th place finish (53.31) in the consolation finals.

Calvin grabbed 59 points in the 100 breaststroke. Gemmen claimed second (55.31), Taulbee third (55.44), Krampe fifth (55.94) and Nguyen seventh (57.91).

Jackson Merkel helped cap off the evening by winning the 100 backstroke with an MIAA record time of 47.53. The time matched the MIAA record set by teammate Charles Platt in 2025. It was also an NCAA B' cut qualifying time and keeps him ranked fifth on the NCAA III performance list. His finish was part of a 1-2-3-5-8 Calvin finish in the event. Gabrielle was second (50.55), McKinney tied for third (50.80), junior Ryan Halberg (Novi, Mich./Northville HS) fifth (50.88) and senior Zachary Logan (Byron Center, Mich./Byron Center HS) eighth (52.40). The showing was worth 77.5 points for the Knights and allowed them to move within a half-point of Hope in the team standings.

Hope picked up 66 points in the men's three-meter diving with the Knights picking up 16 points on the boards. Freshman Miles Lee (Chicago, Ill./Home School) was 10^th for the Knights on the three-meter board (290.95) with sophomore Carson McIntire (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton HS) 12^th (246.25) and Josh Ring 13^th (242.35).

MIAA TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH DAY THREE

Hope 828.5
Calvin 778
Kalamazoo 317
Albion 273
Alma 262.5
Olivet 11

COACHES COMMENT: "I'm extremely pleased with our team today," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "We did some great things in the morning prelims and reaped some of those benefits this evening. Our guys had great attitudes and worked together up and down our roster. They've gotten us back in the game. It was a very good night for us."

NEXT UP: The final day of competition begins on Saturday with prelims set for 10 a.m. and championship finals set for the early afternoon with the 1650 freestyle and the bulk of the finals following at 5 p.m.