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Thursday Recap
March 17, 2005
Record-Setting 500 Free National Champion
Elliot Rushton of Kenyon
THURSDAY'S BENCHMARKS
200 Yard Freestyle Relay
Division III Record: 1:19,44, Kenyon, 1998
Aquatic Center Record: 1:22.75, Kenyon, 2005
2005 Champion: Kenyon, 1:22.75
500 Yard Freestyle
Division III Record: 4:22.95, Elliot Rushton, Kenyon, 2005
Aquatic Center Record: 4:22.95, Elliot Rushton, Kenyon, 2005
2005 Champion: 4:22.95, Elliot Rushton, Kenyon
200 Yard Individual Medley
Division III Record: 1:46.97, Gary Simon, Claremont-M-S, 1998
Aquatic Center Record: 1:49.18, Andrejs Duda, Kenyon, 2005
2005 Champion: 1:49.18, Andrejs Duda, Kenyon, 2005
50 Yard Freestyle
Division III Record: :19.90, Aaron Cole, Denison, 1999
Aquatic Center Record: :20.37, Andrew Cox, C-M-S, 2005
2005 Champion: :20.37, Andrew Cox, C-M-S, 2005
400 Yard Medley Relay
Division III Record: 3:16.70, Kenyon, 2004
Aquatic Center Record: 3:18.28, Kenyon, 2005
2005 Champion: 3:18.28, Kenyon
One Meter Diving
Division III Record: :557.90, Gabe Korteum, St. Olaf, 2002
2005 Champion: Mike Shaw, Springfield, 456.80
THURSDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Kenyon College is on its way toward claiming yet another NCAA Division
III men's swimming and diving championship. With national championship
performances in both relays and a pair of individual gold medal performances,
the Lords are on their way to an unprecedented 26th consecutive national
crown. Through Thursday's six events, Kenyon has totaled 175 points followed
by Emory 138, Johns Hopkins 107.5, Denison 76, Williams 73, Gustavus Adolphus
69, Wheaton, Ill. 65.5, Washington, Mo. 54, Springfield 52 and host Hope
48.5.
One of the returning national champions, Kenyon's Elliot Rushton successfully
defended his title in the 500-yard freestyle with a NCAA DIII meet record
time of 4:22.95. It marks the sixth time since 1998 that a member of the
Rushton family has won the 500 free title. Elliot's older brother Tom
was the DIII national champion in the 500 free four consecutive years
(1998-01).
Kenyon's other individual championship was won by junior Andrejs Duda
who regained the 200-yard individual medley he won in 2003 as a freshman.
A year ago Duda finished second. This year he led the field with a championship
finals time of 1:49.18.
With a strong final leg, Kenyon came from behind to nip Gustavus Adolphus
in the finals of the 200 freestyle relay. Anchor Thomas Ashby swam the
final 50 in :20.31 to give the Lords the win at the wall with a time of
1:22.75. Gustavus was timed in 1:22.95. Members of the Kenyon relay were
Andrejs Duda, Russell Hunt, James Berger and Ashby. Kenyon has won the
200 free relay title five years in-a-row and 11 of the last 12 years.
Kenyon also won the 200 medley relay title for a 10th consecutive year.
Finishing nearly three seconds ahead of runnerup Emory, the Kenyon relay
of Russell Hunt, Joseph Gosselar, Andrejs Duda and Thomas Ashby was timed
in 3:18.78.
The other first-day champions were freshman Andrew Cox of Claremont
Mudd Scripps in the 50 freestyle (:20.37) and Springfield junior diver
Mike Shaw on the one-meter board. Shaw had been runnerup a year ago.
Aquatic Center pool records were established in every swimming event
during Thursday's competition. A week ago every Aquatic Center pool swimming
record was broken during the women's championships.
There are 64 colleges/universities represented. Included are 42 freshmen,
54 sophomores, 61 juniors and 64 seniors.
A total of 19 States are represented. New York has highest number of
schools (11) followed by Massachusetts 8, California 6, Michigan 5, Pennsylvania
5, Wisconsin 4, Illinois 4.
Emory has the largest number of competitors with 18, followed by Kenyon
17, Williams 13, Johns Hopkins 12 and Wheaton, Ill. 10. Twenty eight schools
have just one entrant.
There are six defending champions -- Elliott Rushton of Kenyon in the
500 freestyle (seeded #1); Andrejs Duda of Kenyon in the 100 butterfly
(seeded #6); Chris Pearson of Carnegie Mellon in the 200 freestyle (seeded
#1); Will Cunningham of Williams in the 100 backstroke (seeded #1); Chris
Halstead of Emory in 200 backstroke (seeded #2) and diver Will Cunningham
of Springfield on the three-meter board. Andrejs Duda of Kenyon also won
the 200 butterfly in 2004, but is not entered in that event this year.
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