University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Men Advance Nine to NCAA First Day Swimming Finals
3/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
The Gophers posted the fourth fastest preliminary time, advancing to tonight's final, after placing fifth at last year's championships. Smolinski, Hackler and Krastins teamed with Alex Massura last season to set the previous school mark (3:10.79)
Stanford will head into the finals with the fastest prelim time, setting the pool record (3:08.19).
Minnesota All-American Justin Mortimer advanced to the 500-yard freestyle championship final. Mortimer, who placed sixth at last year's championships in the event, swam the eighth-fastest preliminary time (4:18.76). Junior Matt Taylor placed 14th during preliminary action and will compete in the consolation finals, after swimming a 4:20.84.
The Gopher 200-yard freestyle relay team of Allen Ong, Brian Gettelfinger, Terry Silkaitis and Ben Bartell finished 13th, clocking a 1:19.81 in prelims and will also compete this evening in the consolation finals.
2002 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships: Thursday's Minnesota Preliminary Results: Event Time Place 200-yard freestyle relay 1:19.81 13 (Ong, Gettelfinger, Silkaitis, Bartell) 500-yard freestyle Mortimer 4:18.76 8 Taylor 4:20.84 14 200-yard individual medley Plummer 1:49.12 31 Urreta 1:51.54 46 50-yard freestyle Ong 20.58 45 Gettelfinger 20.60 46 400-yard medley relay 3:10.57* 4 (Smolinski, Hackler, Krastins, Silkaitis) * Minnesota School Record
Players Mentioned
