FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Highlighted by sophomore Ricky Berens' second-place preliminary-round swim in the 200 individual medley, second-ranked Texas secured five championship finals berths and three consolation finals berths on day one of the 2008 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships.
The 200 freestyle relay opened the meet by securing a bid in this evening's finals, as freshman Jonathan Jackson, senior Matt Lowe, freshman Brian Wilson and senior Jeremy Harris clocked a sixth-place time of 1:18.07.Arizona holds the top seed in the final after clocking 1:17.05.
This evening's 500 freestyle final will feature the two fastest Longhorns in school history, event record holder Michael Klueh and Dave Walters, who became the second-fastest Longhorn by shaving over three seconds off of his personal best, clocking 4:14.93 for fourth in the preliminary round.Klueh claimed the third seed in tonight's final in 4:14.64.
Senior Matt McGinnis will compete in the 500 freestyle consolation final after clocking 4:19.40 for 15th in the preliminary round.Junior Sean Patton shaved over a second off of his personal best and took 18th in 4:20.02.
Sophomore Ricky Berens became the third-fastest Longhorn in the 200 IM and registered the third-fastest event performance in school history in 1:44.10.Berens entered the event as the 15th seed but finished as the No. 2 qualifier for tonight's final behind Arizona's Darian Townsend.
Senior Agustin Magruder, who entered the 200 IM as the 19th seed, placed 13th overall and reached tonight's consolation final in 1:45.48, beating his previous personal best of 1:46.49.Junior Caleb McDermott tied for 16th alongside Auburn's Tyler McGill in 1:46.04 and was forced to compete in a swim-off for the last consolation finals berth.McDermott won the head-to-head battle in 1:47.20 over McGill's 1:48.09.With his initial 200 IM swim of 1:46.04, McDermott becomes the ninth-fastest Longhorn in that event.
Texas secured the fifth seed in tonight's 400 medley relay final, as seniors Daniel Rohleder and Matt Lowe, sophomore Hill Taylor and junior Ryan Verlatti finished in 3:08.62.
The men's one-meter diving prelims, featuring Texas junior Jonathan Wilcox, sophomore Mike Wong and freshman Matt Cooper, get underway at approximately 4:15 p.m. Central.
NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships - Day 1 Texas Prelim Results
200 Freestyle Relay
6. Jackson (19.77), Lowe (19.23), Wilson (19.78), Harris (19.29) - 1:18.07
500 Freestyle
3. Michael Klueh - 4:14.64 3rd fastest swim,
4. Dave Walters - 4:14.93 2nd fastest longhorn, 5th fastest performance - over 3 secs ahead of PR
15. Matt McGinnis - 4:19.40
18. Sean Patton - 4:20.02
29. Bryan Collins - 4:22.73
200 IM
2. Ricky Berens - 1:44.10
13. Agustin Magruder - 1:45.48
T16. Caleb McDermott - 1:46.04
21. Brian Wilson - 1:46.42
200 IM Swim-Off
Caleb McDermott - 1:47.20; Tyler McGill (Auburn) - 1:48.09; McDermott earns consolation berth
50 Freestyle
20. Jonathan Jackson - 19.69
23. Jeremy Harris - 19.75
27. Matt Lowe - 19.81
400 Medley Relay
5. Rohleder, Lowe, Taylor, Verlatti - 3:08.62
|
|
 |
