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Ruske Claims Third Title As MAC/Sun Belt Championships Conclude

Saturday's finals

Zach Ruske

NASHVILLE, TN – University at Buffalo junior Zach Ruske (Superior, CO/Monarch) claimed his third MAC title in as many nights as the Mid-American Conference/Sun Belt Conference Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships concluded Saturday night at the Tracy Caulkins Pool at the Centennial Sportsplex.

For the second time in the meet, Ruske earned a MAC title before even competing in the championship race. Ruske was the lone MAC racer to reach the championship final in the 200-yard backstroke, turning in a then-lifetime-best swim of 1:48.95 in the preliminaries, the third-fastest among all entrants. In the championship race, Ruske placed third and set a UB school record in finishing in 1:48.50 breaking Jason McLaughlin’s record from 2001 by two-tenths of a second. Ruske won Friday’s 100-yard backstroke in the same manner as the only MAC entrant in the finals. In the championship swim, he finished eighth in 51.62. He also won the 200-yard individual medley on Thursday as the top MAC overall finisher.

Sophomore Andrew Tamchyna (Newmarket, Ontario/Newmarket) raced in the consolation final. He finished fifth in the race and 13th overall in a lifetime-best 1:51.57.

Scott Woster

Also racing in a consolation final on Saturday night was Scott Woster (North Pole, AK/North Pole). Woster broke Mark Sy’s 2003 record in the preliminary heats and lowered the record with his 1:50.81 clocking in the consolation of the 200-yard butterfly to finish second and 10th overall. Woster also raced in Friday night’s 100-yard butterfly consolation finishing fifth.

Sophomore Connor Vander Zalm (Kelowna, British Columbia/Kelowna) also scored for the Bulls in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Vander Zalm posted a lifetime-best time of 15:55.41 to finish 10th in the timed final.

UB finished seventh overall and third among the MAC schools in the team standings with 200 points. Missouri State won the overall competition with 688 points, just ahead of Denver's 654. Eastern Michigan was the top MAC program, finishing third with 589 points. The combined meet was scored as one meet, but student-athletes and teams from each conference were recognized separately. The top three finishers from each conference were awarded medals and the top teams from each conference were named their respective champion.

Final team scores: Missouri State 688, Denver 654, Eastern Michigan 589, Western Kentucky 539.5, Southern Illinois 347, Miami (Ohio) 315.5, Buffalo 200, Florida Atlantic 121, Ball State 111, Evansville 108.