Valparaiso’s men started the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships in record-setting fashion on Wednesday evening, setting a new school mark in all three events contested in Brown Deer, Wis.  The Crusaders sit in sixth place after day one of the four day championships.

The Crusaders opened the meet setting a new school mark in the 200 freestyle relay as the team of Victor Sikorski (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler H.S.), Austin Hunter (La Crescent, Minn./La Crescent H.S.), Blake Edwards (Orange, Calif./Lutheran H.S. of Orange County), and David Sivak (Hobart, Ind./Hobart H.S.) touched the wall in 1:24.37, bettering the old school record of 1:25.06 set in 1999.  The team finished sixth in the race.

Adam Jajtner (Port Washington, Wis./Port Washington H.S.) added an individual record on the evening in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:46.48.  The senior shattered his own mark that he set in 2007 of 10:00.43 by nearly 14 seconds.

Valpo closed the night with yet another new school mark in the 200 medley relay.  Kyle Verage (Hubertus, Wis./Marquette H.S.), Trevor Trimpe (Connersville, Ind./Connersville H.S.), Ansel Hillmer (Tampa, Fla./Hillsborough H.S.), and Sikorski finished in a time of 1:36.40 to place sixth in the event, breaking the old Crusader record of 1:36.72 set in 2002.

The Crusaders scored 55 points on day one, and trail fifth place Green Bay (80) by 25 entering Thursday.  UIC leads the championships with 113 points, two ahead of Cleveland State (111).  Wright State (94) is third with Milwaukee (82) currently sitting in fourth place.

Valpo will return to the water on Thursday morning for day two of competition.  Preliminary heats begin at 10:30 a.m. with the finals slated for 6:30 p.m.