CLEVELAND, Mississippi – Steven Bostick was named New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference Men's Coach of the Year as the Ouachita men's swimming and diving team placed third at the 2024 NSISC Championships.
The Tigershark men tallied 895.5 points overall, beating fourth-place Montevallo by over 350 points, but falling behind Delta State and Henderson State.
Head Coach
Steven Bostick earned NSISC men's Coach of the Year honors for his job this season leading the Tigersharks to seven dual meet wins, including the men's first win over Henderson State since 2012. Under Bostick this season, the Tigersharks have also been ranked in the top 25 since November, rising as high as No. 20.
A total of seven school records were broken at the NSISC Championships.
Miles Schulze broke two records this past week, both of which were his own previous records. Schulze broke the record in the 200 Breaststroke with a time of 1:57.43 and the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 53.95, with both records being broken in the prelims. Schulze found himself on the podium on more than one occasion, winning the 200 Breast finals with a time of 1:58.28 and placing third in the 100 Breast finals with a time of 54.13.
Zsombor Bujdoso broke the school records in the 200 IM and 400 IM, taking first place in both events. Bujdoso won the 200 IM with a record-breaking time of 1:49.03 and won the 400 IM with a new record time of 3:52.76. The Hungarian also placed third in the 200 Breast with a time of 1:59.87.
Ethan Sparks broke the school record in the 200 IM, breaking a 13-year-old record with a time of 1:49.44 in the prelims. Sparks placed third in the finals with a time of 1:49.43.
Elijah Christenson broke his own school record in the 200 Butterfly and won the event with a time of 1:46.16. Christenson also put himself back on the podium with a third-place finish in the 200 Freestyle with a time of 1:39.31.
The 800 Freestyle Relay squad of
Jeff McCoy, Christenson, Ian Redman, and Tylar Andruss broke the school record in the event with a time of 6:37.82, placing third in the event finals.
Multiple Tigersharks placed in the top three of finals.
Tyler Andruss took second in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 4:31.48
McCoy placed second in the 400 IM with a time of 3:57.91 and took second in the 200 Backstroke with a time of 1:47.58
The 400 Medley Relay squad of Sparks, M. Schulze, Christenson, and
Sam Ragsdell placed third with a time of 3:16.87.
The 200 Medley Relay team of M. Schulze, Ragsdell,
Alex Schulze, and
Fernando Bustillo finished third with a time of 1:21.97.
The 400 Free Relay squad of Ragsdell, McCoy, Redman, and Bujdoso took third in the event with a time of 3:01.97.
The Tigersharks as a team wrap up their season with seven dual meet wins, with three of those wins coming against top 25 teams. The Tigersharks took down the No. 11, No. 12, and No. 21 ranked teams over the course of the season. Ouachita also took down cross-street rival Henderson State for the first time in 12 years in the final home meet of the season.
Individual Tigersharks will be waiting to see if their times this season qualify them for the 2024 NCAA DII Championships that will take place in Geneva, Ohio and begin on March 12 and run through March16.
