Completed Event: Men's Swimming and Diving versus Arizona Christian on December 13, 2025 ,
M Swimming
vs Arizona Christian
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Successful season leaves Lopes poised for further success
3/30/2016 5:33:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
With the 2015-16 season recently coming to a close, the Grand Canyon men's and women's swimming and diving teams now look to the future, and it looks bright.
Following a third place finish at the 2016 WAC Swimming and Diving Championships in Houston, Texas, the men's program finished the season as the No. 9 ranked Division I mid-major team according to CollegeSwimming.com and the No. 39 team in the country. Both marks were steady improvements over a year ago when they finished No. 11 and 49 respectively.
Had the Lopes been eligible for postseason competition, they would've qualified three individuals and one relay team.
At the WAC Championships, Daniil Antipov won the 200 butterfly with a conference record time of 1:42.87, was a part of two winning relays in the 200 and 400 medleys, and also finished second in the 100 butterfly and sixth overall in the 200 individual medley. The 2016 Co-Freshman of the Year qualified for the NCAA Championship meet in both the 100 and 200 Butterfly. Antipov would also have qualified for the 200 IM as an additional event since he had achieved the "B" qualifying standard. If Antipov were to have matched his WAC performance at the NCAA meet, he would've placed 12th in the 200 fly and garnered Honorable Mention All-America honors.
Fellow freshman Mark Nikolaev qualified for the 100 backstroke at the NCAA meet after posting the 29th fastest time in Division I this season with his 46.30 at the WAC Championships. He would have been able to enter both the 200 backstroke and the 200 IM due to achieving "B" standards in those events as well.
Nikolaev was also part of the Lopes' 400 freestyle relay that would've earned a spot in the NCAA meet if the team were eligible. He would've been joined by teammates Jacob Lambros, Mazen El Kamash and Iegor Lytvenok as the four of them posted the No. 20 time in the country with their "A" standard of 2:52.57 that won the WAC title.
Senior Mike Bidak would have also qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships to then qualify for the NCAA Championship on both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards. Bidak is the first diver in program history to reach the zone qualifying level.
Given both Antipov and Nikolaev were freshmen in the 2015-16 campaign, the Lopes look to be in good position to send multiple athletes to the NCAA Championship in two years. This season, had they been eligible, the Lopes would have qualified more individuals and relay teams on the men's side to the national championships than the rest of the WAC's schools combined.
On the women's side, the Lopes also finished with a third place finish at the WAC Championships, improving one spot from a year ago. Iryna Glavnyk, Jovanna Koens, and Estela Davis Ortiz all won individual events and hit Division I "B" standards for the NCAA meet.
The women's squad finish ranked No. 46 among mid-majors and 90 in Division in all of Division I, a slight slip from 2014-15's No. 49 mid-major and No. 77 Division I rankings.
So get ready Lopes fans because Steve Schaffer and his teams are poised for great things to come.
Following a third place finish at the 2016 WAC Swimming and Diving Championships in Houston, Texas, the men's program finished the season as the No. 9 ranked Division I mid-major team according to CollegeSwimming.com and the No. 39 team in the country. Both marks were steady improvements over a year ago when they finished No. 11 and 49 respectively.
Had the Lopes been eligible for postseason competition, they would've qualified three individuals and one relay team.
At the WAC Championships, Daniil Antipov won the 200 butterfly with a conference record time of 1:42.87, was a part of two winning relays in the 200 and 400 medleys, and also finished second in the 100 butterfly and sixth overall in the 200 individual medley. The 2016 Co-Freshman of the Year qualified for the NCAA Championship meet in both the 100 and 200 Butterfly. Antipov would also have qualified for the 200 IM as an additional event since he had achieved the "B" qualifying standard. If Antipov were to have matched his WAC performance at the NCAA meet, he would've placed 12th in the 200 fly and garnered Honorable Mention All-America honors.
Fellow freshman Mark Nikolaev qualified for the 100 backstroke at the NCAA meet after posting the 29th fastest time in Division I this season with his 46.30 at the WAC Championships. He would have been able to enter both the 200 backstroke and the 200 IM due to achieving "B" standards in those events as well.
Nikolaev was also part of the Lopes' 400 freestyle relay that would've earned a spot in the NCAA meet if the team were eligible. He would've been joined by teammates Jacob Lambros, Mazen El Kamash and Iegor Lytvenok as the four of them posted the No. 20 time in the country with their "A" standard of 2:52.57 that won the WAC title.
Senior Mike Bidak would have also qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships to then qualify for the NCAA Championship on both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards. Bidak is the first diver in program history to reach the zone qualifying level.
Given both Antipov and Nikolaev were freshmen in the 2015-16 campaign, the Lopes look to be in good position to send multiple athletes to the NCAA Championship in two years. This season, had they been eligible, the Lopes would have qualified more individuals and relay teams on the men's side to the national championships than the rest of the WAC's schools combined.
On the women's side, the Lopes also finished with a third place finish at the WAC Championships, improving one spot from a year ago. Iryna Glavnyk, Jovanna Koens, and Estela Davis Ortiz all won individual events and hit Division I "B" standards for the NCAA meet.
The women's squad finish ranked No. 46 among mid-majors and 90 in Division in all of Division I, a slight slip from 2014-15's No. 49 mid-major and No. 77 Division I rankings.
So get ready Lopes fans because Steve Schaffer and his teams are poised for great things to come.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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