University of Minnesota Athletics
Wold And Lee-To Power Gophers At Ohio State Invite
12/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
The No. 9 Minnesota men's swimming and diving team maintained a second place standing Saturday after two days of competition at the Ohio State Invitational at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. Alex Wold and Colin Lee-To posted individual event victories while Minnesota swept both relays tonight. Minnesota's 596.5 points trails Ohio State (906) while Penn State is third (432) and Notre Dame is fourth (243).
Minnesota won its second relay of the meet to start the evening session. The 200 medley relay team of Karl Burdis, Colin Lee-To, Anthony Portela and Michael Richards clocked an NCAA B cut time of 1:28.20 to edge Ohio State's effort of 1:28.31.
Alex Wold posted a special performance in the 400 individual medley. The junior dropped over eight seconds from his prelim time to win the event in an NCAA B cut time of 3:48.29. He easily beat Ohio State's Niksa Rosi's second place time of 3:49.66 and recorded a new career-best time by just over two seconds and is now the fifth-fastest performer ever in the event. Senior Josh Griffey also placed sixth in 3:56.02. In the C Final, freshman Richard Hills took 19th in 4:02.55 and junior Nico Zebley was 20th in 4:03.91.
Minnesota received another pair of lifetime-best efforts in the 100 butterfly. Senior Anthony Portela clocked a 48.35 to finish second while Kevin Baseheart was third in 48.44. Portela clocked a blistering 48.04 in the prelims to post his career-best and is now the 12th-fastest performer in school history.
Minnesota had four finalists in the 200 freestyle and it could have been five after Wold clocked a lifetime-best 1:36.66 in the prelims to qualify first for the championship final. However, with the 400 IM finals just a few events earlier, Wold elected to concentrate on the 400 IM and skip the finals. Ray Betuzzi finished second overall in a time of 1:36.55, just off the winning time of Ohio State's Andrew Olson (1:36.31). Curt Carlson also posted a lifetime best time of 1:36.60 to finish third. Betuzzi's and Carlson's efforts were both NCAA B cut times. Dominique Massie-Martel also posted a career-best time of 1:38.07 to place fifth and Steve Miller finished sixth in 1:38.69 after going a career-best 1:38.10 in the prelims. A trio of Gophers were in the Bonus Final with Chris Peterson taking 19th in 1:40.79, Adam Weis in 20th at 1:40.89 and Zach Bolin in 21st at 1:40.91.
Colin Lee-To shattered the meet record in the 100 breaststroke to take the title in a career-best time of 53.36. He beat Ohio State's Felipe Travesso's second place time of 53.95. Lee-To bettered his career-best time by .33 seconds and is the third-fastest Gopher ever in the event. Ivan Gutesa placed 10th in 56.66 and Mark Solfelt was 14th in 57.25. Zach Weis was 18th in the bonus final with a time of 58.30 and Richard Hills was 19th in 58.63.
Drew Brown made a strong showing in the 3-meter diving finals, finishing seventh with a tally of 371.15. Five of the six finishers ahead of Brown were NCAA qualifiers last year, David Boudia of Purdue won the event with a score of 430.30. Tyler Jepsen also placed 19th with a score of 243.30.
In the 100 backstroke, Burdis clocked a time of 49.29 to finish fourth. Penn State's Pat Schirk took first in 48.20. In the bonus final, Keith Yoho placed 18th in 51.79.
Minnesota closed out the evening with another relay victory, this time in the 800 freestyle relay. Minnesota's team of Wold, Carlson, Betuzzi and Miller clocked a meet record time of 6:28.99 to breeze to an easy win. Betuzzi's split of 1:35.88 buoyed Minnesota's efforts. Ohio State timed a 6:33.08 to finish second. The Gophers' B team of Solfelt, Baseheart, Massie-Martel and Bolin also placed fourth in 6:38.23.
The Ohio State Invitational ends tomorrow with prelims at 11 a.m. and finals at 3 p.m.
The rest of the Gopher roster not at the Ohio State Invitational is competing at the Falcon Invitational at University Aquatic Center. Cole Young won the platform diving competition with a score of 397.60 and Alex Stern was second at 276.90. Several other Gophers had strong performances. Rob Schaefer captured the title in the 400 individual medley with a career-best 4:03.32 and Matt Crees was second in 4:07.06. Andy Knaak also took third in 4:07.43. Rob Schnitzler won his second event of the meet, taking the 200 breaststroke in a lifetime-best 2:03.47. Jake Kittilstad took third in the 100 free with a time of 46.45 and Matt Papenfuss was fourth in 46.82. Crees came back to finish fourth in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:55.31.
Minnesota won its second relay of the meet to start the evening session. The 200 medley relay team of Karl Burdis, Colin Lee-To, Anthony Portela and Michael Richards clocked an NCAA B cut time of 1:28.20 to edge Ohio State's effort of 1:28.31.
Alex Wold posted a special performance in the 400 individual medley. The junior dropped over eight seconds from his prelim time to win the event in an NCAA B cut time of 3:48.29. He easily beat Ohio State's Niksa Rosi's second place time of 3:49.66 and recorded a new career-best time by just over two seconds and is now the fifth-fastest performer ever in the event. Senior Josh Griffey also placed sixth in 3:56.02. In the C Final, freshman Richard Hills took 19th in 4:02.55 and junior Nico Zebley was 20th in 4:03.91.
Minnesota received another pair of lifetime-best efforts in the 100 butterfly. Senior Anthony Portela clocked a 48.35 to finish second while Kevin Baseheart was third in 48.44. Portela clocked a blistering 48.04 in the prelims to post his career-best and is now the 12th-fastest performer in school history.
Minnesota had four finalists in the 200 freestyle and it could have been five after Wold clocked a lifetime-best 1:36.66 in the prelims to qualify first for the championship final. However, with the 400 IM finals just a few events earlier, Wold elected to concentrate on the 400 IM and skip the finals. Ray Betuzzi finished second overall in a time of 1:36.55, just off the winning time of Ohio State's Andrew Olson (1:36.31). Curt Carlson also posted a lifetime best time of 1:36.60 to finish third. Betuzzi's and Carlson's efforts were both NCAA B cut times. Dominique Massie-Martel also posted a career-best time of 1:38.07 to place fifth and Steve Miller finished sixth in 1:38.69 after going a career-best 1:38.10 in the prelims. A trio of Gophers were in the Bonus Final with Chris Peterson taking 19th in 1:40.79, Adam Weis in 20th at 1:40.89 and Zach Bolin in 21st at 1:40.91.
Colin Lee-To shattered the meet record in the 100 breaststroke to take the title in a career-best time of 53.36. He beat Ohio State's Felipe Travesso's second place time of 53.95. Lee-To bettered his career-best time by .33 seconds and is the third-fastest Gopher ever in the event. Ivan Gutesa placed 10th in 56.66 and Mark Solfelt was 14th in 57.25. Zach Weis was 18th in the bonus final with a time of 58.30 and Richard Hills was 19th in 58.63.
Drew Brown made a strong showing in the 3-meter diving finals, finishing seventh with a tally of 371.15. Five of the six finishers ahead of Brown were NCAA qualifiers last year, David Boudia of Purdue won the event with a score of 430.30. Tyler Jepsen also placed 19th with a score of 243.30.
In the 100 backstroke, Burdis clocked a time of 49.29 to finish fourth. Penn State's Pat Schirk took first in 48.20. In the bonus final, Keith Yoho placed 18th in 51.79.
Minnesota closed out the evening with another relay victory, this time in the 800 freestyle relay. Minnesota's team of Wold, Carlson, Betuzzi and Miller clocked a meet record time of 6:28.99 to breeze to an easy win. Betuzzi's split of 1:35.88 buoyed Minnesota's efforts. Ohio State timed a 6:33.08 to finish second. The Gophers' B team of Solfelt, Baseheart, Massie-Martel and Bolin also placed fourth in 6:38.23.
The Ohio State Invitational ends tomorrow with prelims at 11 a.m. and finals at 3 p.m.
The rest of the Gopher roster not at the Ohio State Invitational is competing at the Falcon Invitational at University Aquatic Center. Cole Young won the platform diving competition with a score of 397.60 and Alex Stern was second at 276.90. Several other Gophers had strong performances. Rob Schaefer captured the title in the 400 individual medley with a career-best 4:03.32 and Matt Crees was second in 4:07.06. Andy Knaak also took third in 4:07.43. Rob Schnitzler won his second event of the meet, taking the 200 breaststroke in a lifetime-best 2:03.47. Jake Kittilstad took third in the 100 free with a time of 46.45 and Matt Papenfuss was fourth in 46.82. Crees came back to finish fourth in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:55.31.
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/ Men's Swimming & DivingJacob Johnson - B1G Silver Medal
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