CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's swimming and diving team swam at the unscored Viking Relay Challenge, hosted by NCAA Division I Cleveland State University at the Busbey Natatorium, to open the 2018-19 season.

The meet consisted solely of relay events, both traditional and non-traditional, and included a couple of coed events. BW was the only Division III institution competing against Cleveland State and three Division II programs in Ashland University, the University of Findlay and Ursuline College.

BW's best finish came in the 300-yard butterfly relay event where freshman stroker Christian Velasquez (Fulshear, Texas/Seven Lakes), freshman stroker Ali Id-Lougssiyr (Louisville, Ky./Eastern) and junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference stroker Greg Shaw (Colorado Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs) teamed up for a time of 2:52.81 to place fifth.

The Yellow Jackets notched sixth-place finishes in the 300-yard backstroke relay, the 300-yard breaststroke relay and the 400-yard medley relay. Senior freestyler John Beyer (Columbus/Centennial), senior freestyler Tyler Allison (Napoleon) and sophomore stroker Michael Morsch (Phoenix, Ariz./Notre Dame Preparatory) combined for a time of 3:02.18 in the 300 back relay. In the 300-yard breaststroke relay, freshman stroker Michael Lewis (Lancaster), sophomore freestyler Conner Hartup (Westlake) and junior All-OAC diver Evan Rinaldi (Cleveland/Cleveland Heights) swam a time of 3:45.03.  The team of Morsch, Lewis, Velasquez and Beyer finished the 400 medley relay in 3:57.60.  

BW will return to action on Friday, Oct. 19, for a non-conference tri-meet with Ohio Wesleyan University and Thomas More (Ky.) College at Ohio Wesleyan's The Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center.