Twin Cities, MN…The College of New Jersey's men's swimming team opened competition on Wednesday at the 2009 NCAA Division III men's swimming and diving championships, which are being held at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and run through Saturday night.

TCNJ's rookie Mike Vernoia (Hillsborough, NJ/Immaculata) opened his first NCAA championships by posting a time of 4:28.72 in the trials of the 500 freestyle race and advanced to the consolation finals after recording the ninth fastest time in the trials. In the finals, he picked up a ninth place showing in 4:25.81 to take home All-American Honorable Mention Honors. He would break his own school record in the event which had stood at 4:30.22 and set at the 2009 Met Championships last month.

Also competing in the event for the Lions was sophomore Tom Medvecky (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) and sophomore Tim Rauch (Hillsbourgh, NJ/Hillsborough) as they recorded trial times of 4:35.48 and 4:35.94, respectively but did not qualify for the finals.

In the 200 individual medley race, TCNJ's senior tri-captain Mike Heaney (Voorhees, NJ/Bishop Eustace) recorded time of 1:54.48 to stand in 29th place but did not advance.

In the 50 freestyle race, sophomore Shawn Kircher (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) led the Lions with his trials performance of 21.00, but did not advance. Joining him in the trials competition were senior Tom Nawrot (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) and junior Myles O'Connor (Santa Monica, CA) after posting times of 21.01 and 21.70.

In the 200 medley relay, the Lions qualified for the consolation finals after posting a time of 1:31.50 in the trials and were seeded ninth entering the evening swim. Swimming on the trial relay for the Lions were Nawrot, O'Connor, Medvecky, and Kircher. The Lions would take home 10th place after posting a time of 1:32.02 in the finals to earn All-America Honorable Mention status.