Completed Event: Men's Swimming and Diving at Hawaii on October 25, 2025 , Loss , 128, to, 134
M Swimming
at Hawaii
L 128-134
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, November 2
Colorado Springs, Colo.
TBD
Grand Canyon
at
Air Force
Photo by: Deb Schaffer
Lopes bounce back, beat Air Force
11/3/2018 4:00:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving
GCU records first tie in program history, follows up with Saturday win
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Grand Canyon men's swimming and diving team fought back in the final event to force a tie with Air Force on Day 1 before bouncing back to pick up a victory on Day 2. The Lopes and the Falcons tied at 121.5 on Friday, and GCU capped the weekend with a 143-100 win on Saturday.
"It is never an easy meet coming up to Colorado Springs and competing at altitude," Lopes head coach Steve Schaffer said. "but our athletes did a superb job. The men won up here for the first time ever in a very convincing fashion."
GCU opened the meet strong as Mark Nikolaev, Asahi Nagahata, Daniil Antipov and Mazen Shoukri won the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3 minutes, 19.97 seconds. Eran Ber, Alonso Carazo Barbero, Noah Lambert and Bogdan Plavin followed, taking fourth (3:36.83).
Wiktor Jaszczak collected a second-place finish in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 10.14.33.
The Lopes had a strong showing in the 200 freestyle as Florent Janin finished second (1:41.90), while Samuel McKenzie came in third with a time of (1:45.32). Janin and McKenzie also finished second and third again in the 100 freestyle as Janin finished in 46.40 and McKenzie in 46.86.
"We have been working hard to build depth on our men's team and that is starting to show," Schaffer said. "With several of our number two and three guys picking up points in our events, that is very beneficial for us because those were points we used to lose."
Plavin recorded his first win of the weekend, finishing first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.60. Shoukri followed with a second-place finish (21.11) and Cameron Carney in fourth (21.73).
Nikolaev also won his first individual event of the weekend by winning the 200 individual medley (1:54.91). Carazo Barbero finished third (1:58.14) and Dylan Nasser in fourth (1:58.47).
"Our freshman continue to impress," Schaffer said. "Florent (Janin), Mazen (Shoukri), Samuel (McKenzie) and Alonzo (Carazo Babero) have done a great job and Dylan (Nasser) stepped it up a notch and picked up some valuable points for us this weekend."
Antipov won the 200 butterfly, winning the event in 1:52.36.
Nikolaev earned his second individual victory in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:51.52. Nasser earned a third-place finish (1:55.93) while Ber collected a fourth-place finish (1:56.10).
In the 500 freestyle, Carazo Barbero took second with a time of 4:46.02, while Jaszczak comes right behind him in third (4:50.49).
Nagahata took second in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:10.71.
Pietro Hufnagel Toscani had a strong showing for GCU, taking first in the 1-meter dive with a score of (317.93) and posting a second-place finish in the 3-meter dive (303.38). Nick Benson finished 3rd in the 1-meter dive (299.78) and fourth in the 3-meter dive with a score of 262.20.
"The Friday dual against Air Force went well for diving," Lopes head diving coach Hunter Shafer said. "Both Pietro and Nick were great. Nick had the dive of the meet with an inward 2 1/2 on the 1-meter dive which was fantastic."
Going into the final event of the day, the Lopes were trailing by nearly five points. Shoukri, McKenzie, Janin and Antipov came up clutch for GCU, winning the 400 free relay with a time of 3:03.13, earning enough points to tie the score at 121.50.
Nikolaev, Plavin, Antipov and Shoukri kicked things off for GCU winning the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 30.08 seconds. Ber, Nagahata, McKenzie and Carney finished third with a time of 1:34.79.
The second relay victory for the Lopes came in the 200 freestyle relay as Janin, McKenzie, Antipov and Plavin earned a first-place finish with a time of 1:22.61.
"The men knew they probably should have won the meet on Friday," Schaffer said. "But we focused on the positives and they came back and really competed well today."
Nikolaev went perfect on the weekend, winning two more individual events. The senior from Russia won the 200 individual medley (1:54.67) and the 100 backstroke with a time of 47.67.
In the 100 butterfly, Antipov collected another victory, winning the event in 48.70.
Janin picked up an individual win, earning a first-place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:42.46) and a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.68.
Plavin and Shoukri both had a pair of first-place finishes as Plavin won the 50 freestyle in 20.56 and Shoukri earning the victory in the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.75. Shoukri also finished second in the 50 freestyle (20.70).
"Bogdan (Plavin) really made a strong statement this weekend with his sprinting and relay efforts, "Schaffer said. "He is hungry and working to be part of our NCAA qualifier group as an individual this year. He is really racing well."
In the 100 breaststroke, Nagahata picked up a victory, winning the event in 57.46.
Both Jaszczak and Nasser picked up two third-place finishes, as Jaszczak finished third in the 1000 freestyle (10:20.10) and in the 500 freestyle (4:52.51), while Nasser finished third in the 200 individual medley (1:58.11) and the 100 backstroke (52.66).
Hufnagel Toscani and Benson both shined on Day 2 as Hufnagel Toscani won the 3-meter dive with a score of 321.50 while Benson took third (268.40). In the 1-meter dive, Hufnagel Toscani also claimed first, winning the event with 321.90 points. Benson finished second with 287.00 points.
"Pietro (Hufnagel Toscani) was fantastic again for us," Lopes head diving coach Hunter Shafer said. "Both him and Nick (Benson) really contributed to our team win on Saturday and Pietro earned a NCAA Zone qualifying score in the 3-meter dive. I am excited to see what's ahead for both of them."
GCU is back in action Nov. 15-17 as they head to Iowa City for the Hawkeye Invitational.
"This weekend was our last rehearsal before our mid-season taper meet in Iowa and I think we did a very good job of preparing both the men and women to have some impressive time drops there, "Schaffer said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how we do. We still a long ways to go, but it has been a good start."
For more on GCU swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_Swimming.
"It is never an easy meet coming up to Colorado Springs and competing at altitude," Lopes head coach Steve Schaffer said. "but our athletes did a superb job. The men won up here for the first time ever in a very convincing fashion."
Day 1
Friday's tie marked GCU's first-ever first tie in the Division I era.GCU opened the meet strong as Mark Nikolaev, Asahi Nagahata, Daniil Antipov and Mazen Shoukri won the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 3 minutes, 19.97 seconds. Eran Ber, Alonso Carazo Barbero, Noah Lambert and Bogdan Plavin followed, taking fourth (3:36.83).
Wiktor Jaszczak collected a second-place finish in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 10.14.33.
The Lopes had a strong showing in the 200 freestyle as Florent Janin finished second (1:41.90), while Samuel McKenzie came in third with a time of (1:45.32). Janin and McKenzie also finished second and third again in the 100 freestyle as Janin finished in 46.40 and McKenzie in 46.86.
"We have been working hard to build depth on our men's team and that is starting to show," Schaffer said. "With several of our number two and three guys picking up points in our events, that is very beneficial for us because those were points we used to lose."
Plavin recorded his first win of the weekend, finishing first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.60. Shoukri followed with a second-place finish (21.11) and Cameron Carney in fourth (21.73).
Nikolaev also won his first individual event of the weekend by winning the 200 individual medley (1:54.91). Carazo Barbero finished third (1:58.14) and Dylan Nasser in fourth (1:58.47).
"Our freshman continue to impress," Schaffer said. "Florent (Janin), Mazen (Shoukri), Samuel (McKenzie) and Alonzo (Carazo Babero) have done a great job and Dylan (Nasser) stepped it up a notch and picked up some valuable points for us this weekend."
Antipov won the 200 butterfly, winning the event in 1:52.36.
Nikolaev earned his second individual victory in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:51.52. Nasser earned a third-place finish (1:55.93) while Ber collected a fourth-place finish (1:56.10).
In the 500 freestyle, Carazo Barbero took second with a time of 4:46.02, while Jaszczak comes right behind him in third (4:50.49).
Nagahata took second in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:10.71.
Pietro Hufnagel Toscani had a strong showing for GCU, taking first in the 1-meter dive with a score of (317.93) and posting a second-place finish in the 3-meter dive (303.38). Nick Benson finished 3rd in the 1-meter dive (299.78) and fourth in the 3-meter dive with a score of 262.20.
"The Friday dual against Air Force went well for diving," Lopes head diving coach Hunter Shafer said. "Both Pietro and Nick were great. Nick had the dive of the meet with an inward 2 1/2 on the 1-meter dive which was fantastic."
Going into the final event of the day, the Lopes were trailing by nearly five points. Shoukri, McKenzie, Janin and Antipov came up clutch for GCU, winning the 400 free relay with a time of 3:03.13, earning enough points to tie the score at 121.50.
Day 2
The GCU men have yet to lose a relay this season as the Lopes won both of their relays on Saturday in the 143-100 win.Nikolaev, Plavin, Antipov and Shoukri kicked things off for GCU winning the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 30.08 seconds. Ber, Nagahata, McKenzie and Carney finished third with a time of 1:34.79.
The second relay victory for the Lopes came in the 200 freestyle relay as Janin, McKenzie, Antipov and Plavin earned a first-place finish with a time of 1:22.61.
"The men knew they probably should have won the meet on Friday," Schaffer said. "But we focused on the positives and they came back and really competed well today."
Nikolaev went perfect on the weekend, winning two more individual events. The senior from Russia won the 200 individual medley (1:54.67) and the 100 backstroke with a time of 47.67.
In the 100 butterfly, Antipov collected another victory, winning the event in 48.70.
Janin picked up an individual win, earning a first-place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:42.46) and a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.68.
Plavin and Shoukri both had a pair of first-place finishes as Plavin won the 50 freestyle in 20.56 and Shoukri earning the victory in the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.75. Shoukri also finished second in the 50 freestyle (20.70).
"Bogdan (Plavin) really made a strong statement this weekend with his sprinting and relay efforts, "Schaffer said. "He is hungry and working to be part of our NCAA qualifier group as an individual this year. He is really racing well."
In the 100 breaststroke, Nagahata picked up a victory, winning the event in 57.46.
Both Jaszczak and Nasser picked up two third-place finishes, as Jaszczak finished third in the 1000 freestyle (10:20.10) and in the 500 freestyle (4:52.51), while Nasser finished third in the 200 individual medley (1:58.11) and the 100 backstroke (52.66).
Hufnagel Toscani and Benson both shined on Day 2 as Hufnagel Toscani won the 3-meter dive with a score of 321.50 while Benson took third (268.40). In the 1-meter dive, Hufnagel Toscani also claimed first, winning the event with 321.90 points. Benson finished second with 287.00 points.
"Pietro (Hufnagel Toscani) was fantastic again for us," Lopes head diving coach Hunter Shafer said. "Both him and Nick (Benson) really contributed to our team win on Saturday and Pietro earned a NCAA Zone qualifying score in the 3-meter dive. I am excited to see what's ahead for both of them."
GCU is back in action Nov. 15-17 as they head to Iowa City for the Hawkeye Invitational.
"This weekend was our last rehearsal before our mid-season taper meet in Iowa and I think we did a very good job of preparing both the men and women to have some impressive time drops there, "Schaffer said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how we do. We still a long ways to go, but it has been a good start."
For more on GCU swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_Swimming.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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