Trio of Falcons Defend Individual Titles on Day Three of the WAC Championships

LAS VEGAS, Nev./FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Air Force Academy men's swimming and diving team claimed individual titles in three more events on day three of the 2021 Western Athletic Conference Championships Friday, Feb. 26. The Falcons competed in six swimming events at UNLV's Buchanan Natatorium, while the divers competed on the 3-meter springboard at Northern Arizona's Aquatic Center.

All three event wins came from AF swimmers who defended their individual titles from a season ago. Junior Adam Grimm won the 400 IM title, sophomore Wen Zhang took the 200 free crown, and junior Isaac Gwin won the 100 back.

Grimm, who was originally third in the prelims, shaved a few seconds off his prelim time and touched in first with a 3:49.63. He was just a tenth of a second off his championship time in 2020. His time this season is good for an NCAA B cut.

Zhang defended his crown in the 200 free by finishing over a second ahead of second place with a season-best time of 1:34.55, which is an NCAA B cut. He qualified for the NCAA's in 2020 with a school record 1:33.93, and will look to get back to the national invite and swim it for the first time after it was canceled last year.

Gwin captured his second title in as many days, this time in the 100 back. The school record holder in the event clocked in with a 46.36, just .14 second off his program standard. It is also an NCAA B cut time, his second on the weekend.

On the diving board, it was another podium finish for senior Cole Armagost, as he took bronze on the 3-meter with a 324.20. He was second in the prelims with a score of 340.20. Behind him in the finals and taking eighth place was sophomore Aric Althouse, while junior Jack Macceca won the B final with a score of 296.35 to place ninth overall.

The Falcons had two other swimmers in the 400 IM finals, as junior Logan Davis placed sixth and freshman Joseph Moore placed eighth overall. In the 100 fly, AF placed a pair in the top-eight, as juniors Corey Shepard and Andrew Limpert took fifth and sixth, respectively. Shepard's finals time of 47.82 is the ninth fastest in program history. In a 100 fly exhibition swim, freshman Grant Afman clocked in with a 47.70, which is the eighth quickest in Academy history.

In the 100 breast, sophomore Tory Bartlett was the highest AF finisher taking sixth place with a 55.41. In the final race of the night, the 400-medley relay, AF finished runner-up as the squad of Gwin, Bartlett, Shepard, and Zhang clocked in with a season-best 3:12.46.

As a team, the Falcons have 441 points to sit in second place overall. The host Rebels of UNLV lead the way with 626 points.

The final day of the WAC Championships comes tomorrow, Feb. 27, with the final six swimming events, as well as the platform dive. Prelim swimming action will begin at noon MT, with the finals at 7 p.m. MT. The divers will begin at 10:30 a.m. MT with finals at 6:30 p.m. MT.

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