University of Minnesota Athletics
Betuzzi And Brown Lead Gophers At Minnesota Grand Prix
11/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Ray Betuzzi and Drew Brown each picked up event victories this evening to lead the No. 9 Minnesota men's swimming and diving team on the second night of competition at the Minnesota Grand Prix. Betuzzi won the 500 freestyle while Brown set two school records and was victorious in the 3-meter and platform diving competitions. The national competition features over 450 athletes from college teams and clubs from across the country.
Brown shattered a seven-year-old record in the 3-meter competition, racking up 395.70 points to win easily. The previous mark of 393.00 was set by All-American Dan Croaston in 2001. Tyler Jepsen finished second with a career-high score of 310.27 while Alex Stern was third with a tally of 238.50. Brown came back later in the evening to win the platform competition. After scoring a school record 388.65 in the preliminaries, he came back to win with a finals tally of 335.70. He broke All-American Shaun Kennedy's 6-dive score record of 370.35 set in 2007. Jepsen was second with a career-best 308.40. Both Gophers' scores are easily NCAA Zone qualifiers.
Betuzzi posted a win in the 500 free with a time of 4:26.66, taking first by over a second on Burke Sims (4:27.75) of Fox Valley Swim Club. Junior Nico Zebley was third in 4:32.43 and Michael Daup was 15th in 4:447. Alex Wold had a strong swim to place second in the 400 individual medley with a time of 3:55.76. He led five Gophers in the top 16 as Josh Griffey took fifth in 4:00.68. Freshman Richard Hills won the consolation final for ninth place with a time of 4:05.73. Rob Schaefer placed 10th in 4:06.25 and freshman Andy Knaak was 16th in 4:11.84.
Minnesota posted another runner-up finsh when sophomore Ivan Gutesa touched the wall second in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:01.72. Griffey was back in the water to place sixth in 2:04.09 and Hills was seventh in 2:08.22. Mark Solfelt placed 11th (2:07.87) and Schaefer was 12th (2:07.92). Zach Weis rounded out the Gophers with a 14th place finish in 2:08.38.
In the 50 freestyle, Curt Carlson took fourth in 20.39, leading four Gophers in the final. Michael Richards was sixth (20.49), Colin Lee-To was seventh (20.62) and Steve Miller was eighth (20.65). Kevin Baseheart also placed 14th in 21.14.
In the final individual event of the night, freshman Karl Burdis took sixth in the 100 backstroke with a time of 50.18. Minnesota closed out the night with a win in the 400 medley relay as the team of Burdis, Gutesa, Baseheart and Miller posted a winning time of 3:18.86.
The meet concludes tomorrow with prelims at 9 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.
Players Mentioned
