LANCASTER, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's swimming team advanced seven individuals to finals Friday and comprised with two relays to garner six Top 10 finishes on the first day of competition at the 2024 Franklin & Marshall Invitational held at the Kunkel Aquatic Center.
 
The best individual event for the Raiders on the day was the 50-yard freestyle, advancing four individuals to finals. Sophomore Robbie Ferlick had the highest finish for the team on the evening, taking fourth overall in the event with a time of 20.72 seconds. Ferlick's time improved his current time in the Top 10 in school history by .04 seconds, previously achieved at the PSAC Championships.
 
Sophomore Mason Koeth competed in the "B" final for the event, taking 10th overall with a time of 21.12 seconds. Koeth's swim entered the top ten in school history, moving into sixth all time.
 
Junior Kevin Noldy and sophomore Connor Ludwig raced in the "C" final, with Noldy taking 19th place and Ludwig 21st, with times of 21.28 seconds and 21.49 seconds.
 
Graduate JC Greenwood was the lone Raider in the 500-yard freestyle and gave the Raiders another "A" final swim. Greenwood placed seventh overall with a time of 4:49.83, with his prelim time of 4:44.57 slotting into second going into finals.
 
Senior David Johnson raced and won the "B" final of the 200-yard IM for the Raiders, using a 1:55.63 to surge past the field in the final yards. It marked a two second drop from his prelim swim, which was 1:57.64.
 
Freshman Alex Kissinger raced right before Johnson in the "C" final, taking 18th place with a time of 1:57.65, a full second drop from his morning swim (1:58.71).
 
The Raiders opened the meet with the 200-yard freestyle relay, with the team of sophomore Cooper Mercer, senior Zaidian Van Orden, senior Nathan VanNatter, and freshman Josh Einolf placing tenth with a time of 1:26.81.
 
The first day of competition concluded with the 400-yard medley relay, with the quartet of Koeth, VanNatter, Einolf, and Ferlick taking eighth with a time of 3:27.33.
 
Overall, the Raiders amassed nine total PSAC cuts on the day (one PSAC cut came from Mercer's opening leg of the 200 free relay). The team sits in sixth place in the standings with 217 points. Saturday's prelims are set to begin at 10 a.m.
 
200 Free Relay
10. Cooper Mercer, Zaidian Van Orden, Nathan VanNatter, Josh Einolf 1:26.81
Mason Koeth, Robbie Ferlick, Kevin Noldy, Connor Ludwig DQ
 
500 Free
7. JC Greenwood 4:49.83 (4:44.57p) (PSAC)
 
200 IM
9. David Johnson 1:55.63 (1:57.64p) (PSAC)
18. Alex Kissinger 1:57.65 (1:58.71p) (PSAC)
Cooper Mercer 2:01.87
Nathan VanNatter 2:02.70
Nate Wauls 2:03.76
Kiran George 2:06.51
Josh Einolf DQ
 
50 Free
4. Robbie Ferlick 20.72 (20.79p) (PSAC
10. Mason Koeth 21.12 (21.39p) (PSAC)
19. Kevin Noldy 21.28 (21.48p) (PSAC)
21. Connor Ludwig 21.49 (21.60p) (PSAC)
Zaidian Van Orden 22.12 (PSAC)
Cooper Mercer 22.56
Nate Wauls 22.88
Kiran George 22.95
Luke Roettger 23.83
 
400 Medley Relay
8. Mason Koeth, Nathan VanNatter, Josh Einolf, Robbie Ferlick 3:27.33
12. Kevin Noldy, Nate Wauls, Alex Kissinger, Kiran George 3:33.90