April 6, 2010

Four Swimmers Named to Academic All-MAC Men's Swim Team

CLEVELAND, OH – The Mid-American Conference announced its 2010 Men's Swimming and Diving Academic All-MAC team this afternoon, with University at Buffalo senior'sAndrew Tamchyna, Connor Vander Zalm and Jordan Matthews and sophomore Chris Berloth making the team for the Bulls. A total of 18 student-athletes from six schools were named to the team. Buffalo tied Ball State and Southern Illinois for most honorees.

 

Tamchyna and Vander Zalm were two out of three seniors in the conference to be honored for the third consecutive year. Tamchyna has maintained a 3.759 GPA over four years as an engineering physics major at UB. At the MAC Championship meet this year, he was a member of two record breaking relays, swimming the freestyle leg of the 200 medley relay that placed third with a school record time of 1:30.63, as well as the 200 freestyle relay that placed second in a record breaking time of 1:21.93. Individually, Tamchyna placed sixth in the 200 backstroke with a lifetime-best time of 1:47.76 and 10th in the 50 freestyle in a lifetime-best time of 20.99 and was named to the All-MAC Second Team at the conclusion of the MAC Championship meet.


Another three-peat honoree, Vander Zalm has maintained a 3.697 GPA as a management major at UB. The distance specialist swam to a fifth-place finish in the 400 IM with a time of 4:00.00. In the distance freestyle events, Vander Zalm earned the eighth-place spot in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:35.70 and a season-best time of 16:01.03 in the 1650 freestyle. He was also named to the All-MAC Second Team at the conclusion of the MAC Championship meet. 

Matthews was honored for the second time in his career as a Bull, owning a 3.759 GPA as a mechanical engineering major. He placed 13th and earned a season-best time in the 100 breaststroke (58.10) at the MAC Championship meet and also earned a season-best time in the 200 IM (2:01.57) and a lifetime-best time in the 200 breaststroke (2:10.88) at the MAC meet. 

Berloth earned his first Academic All-MAC honor, holding on to a 3.939 GPA as a sophomore. Berloth earned season-best times in the 100 butterfly (50.63) and 200 IM (1:53.55), finishing 11th and 15th, respectively, at the MAC Championship meet and also earned a lifetime-best time and a fourth-place finish in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:50.19 at the MAC meet, as well. 

The men's team finished their season with a record of 6-2 (2-1 MAC) and finished second at the MAC Championship meet. Head Coach Andy Bashor was named MAC Coach of the year at the conclusion of the meet. 

 

To be nominated for Academic All-MAC honors, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments from the current season only are considered.