More Records, More Awards on Day Three at National Championship
Indianapolis, Ind. - The University of Findlay men's and women's swimming and diving teams participated on the third day of the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championship on Thursday, March 9. The event is being held at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Findlay's men jumped up three spots from last night and now find themselves in sixth with 135 points scored while the women have scored 10 points, good for 22nd.
Freshman Emily Mears-Bentley got the finals kicked off on Thursday with the 100-yard butterfly. Earning a spot in the consolation final after a prelim time of 54.62 in the morning, Mears-Bentley dominated her race, taking first with a time of 54.14, breaking her own school record in the event. That finish earns ninth in the event giving her second team all-American status. Junior Dags Bregis also compete in the event in the morning prelims and finished 32nd in the final standings with his time of 48.77. Mears-Bentley also competed in the morning prelims in the 200 free and took 26th in the event with a 1:50.84.
That race was just the beginning as Findlay had two athletes earn spots in the men's 100 butterfly. Senior Tim Stollings and sophomore Camilo Marrugo came into the event highly touted and delivered with two solid performances. Stollings, the national champion in this event two years ago, took fourth with a time of 46.22 while Marrguo was right behind, touching the wall in 46.27. Both earn first team all-American status in that event.
Later, in the 400 individual medley, junior Daniel Garcia, who had earned his way into the consolation final with a swim of 3:54.07 in the prelim, won his race with a time of 3:50.89, nearly two seconds ahead of his closest competitor. Garcia ends the event in ninth overall, good for second team all-American.
Findlay's final event of the night was the last event of Thursday's lineup, the 400 medley relay. Freshman Bruce Keener led off the race with the backstroke followed by Garcia who did the breaststroke. Tim Stollings' handled the third leg, the butterfly, and Marrugo brought it home with the freestyle. The group ended the event in third place with a time of 3:09.43, breaking their own school record which they previously set at the Calvin Winter Invite. That race earned the group first team all-American status.
Still with multiple events left on the docket, the OIlers look to improve their standing tomorrow for the fourth day of competition.