University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
NCAA Championships
Players Mentioned
Gophers Finish 15th at NCAA Meet
3/24/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
FULL MEET RESULTS
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota men's swimming and diving team concluded the NCAA Championship meet Saturday evening posting a 15th place finish with 67 points. The mark is the best finish for the Gophers since 2011 when Minnesota also placed 15th. Two top-eight All-American finishes from senior Conner McHugh and junior Nick Yang helped seal the top-15 mark for the Maroon and Gold.
"We finally have our feet on the ground and are moving in the right direction, we haven't been in the top-20 for a long time at this meet," said head coach Kelly Kremer. "We are young, Conner [McHugh] is really the only senior that we are graduating that performs at this level, so as the improvement curve of our team goes up, it should be more and more exciting over the next years."
McHugh finished off a stellar career as a Gopher going finishing fourth in his final swim, the 200 breaststroke. With a time of 1:52.00 the senior captain recorded the best NCAA finish in the 200 breast for the Gophers since Mike Brown in 2003.
"I took more time in this race more than I ever really have in my career to look into the stands and really take in the moment the best that I could," said McHugh. "To be able to do this at my home pool in front of the home crowd and to have people cheering as loud as they did when my name was called was something that i'll remember for the rest of my life. I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to represent this school and the program like I did."
McHugh becomes the first Gopher to gather first team All-American honors in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke since Jeff Hackler in 2003.
"On my home visit with Conner I remember sitting in his dining room and talking about how I want him to come to Minnesota and really help change our culture and to help develop a championship culture here, and he has worked so hard in and out of the pool to do just that," said Kremer. "It takes a lot more than words, you actually have to do it in action and he has done an incredible job, I am really proud to call myself his coach."
At his first NCAA Championships, Yang qualified in all three diving events, but had yet to make it to a diving final, that is until today. The junior earned his first top-eight All-American finish on the platform as he finished in fifth place with 423.55 points.
In the 100 freestyle, Bowen Becker earned All-American Honorable Mention accolades as he touched in at 42.13. Placing 14th in the consolation finals, the junior improves on last year's 20th place finish in the event.
The squad of Becker, Tuomas Pokkinen, Matt Thomas and Nick Saulnier swam to a 24th place finish in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 2:53.66.
"It was such great experience for our younger swimmers that were here, for a guy like Bowe who is really developed now and our relay guys. Even though we didn't quite do what we wanted to do in the relays, it was still some nice experience," said Kremer. "And our team hosting this meet, so many of our swimmers and divers that weren't in the meet get to at least be in the atmosphere and experience it, and that should help us as we try and perform better at this meet a year from now."
2018 Minnesota All-Americans (* donates honorable mention)
Bowen Becker - 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle* and 200 Medley Relay*
Conner McHugh - 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke and 200 Medley Relay*
Tuomas Pokkinen - 200 Medley Relay*
Matt Thomas - 200 Medley Relay*
Nick Yang - Platform
School Records at 2018 NCAAs
100 Breaststroke - Conner McHugh (51.48)