Men’s Swimming & Diving NCAA Championships Preview
CLAREMONT, Calif. – With all the success that the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's swimming & diving team has had within the conference, 15 years had gone by since the last time the team sent 10 or more participants to the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. That streak came to end this season as 10 CMS participants – nine swimmers, one diver – have qualified for the Championships which run from March 20-23 at the Conroe Natatorium in Shenandoah, Texas. This is the highest total of participants the Stags have sent to the Championships since 2011 when eight qualified.
The goal for the Stags is to build on its momentum from the SCIAC Championships where they captured SCIAC 16 titles in individual and team events.
"We swam very well at the conference meet and we hope to be faster at the NCAA Championships," said head coach Charlie Griffiths. "If we can beat our times, then the points will take care of itself."
The 200-yard medley relay is one event for example where even a half second can make a huge difference. The Stags enter the Championships seeded 13th but a time a half a second faster would have put them in sixth and a time a half a second slower would have ranked them in 21st. At the SCIAC Championships the team of senior Blake Weber, senior Brad Perfect, sophomore Patrick Shultz and freshman Joseph Hinton had a time of 1:31.27.
In individual events, Weber, the SCIAC Swimmer of the Year is the highest seeded Stag. He is seeded fifth in the 200-yard individual medley after a time of 1:50.16 at the conference meet which saw him defeat reigning national champion Jeff Depew of Redlands.
On the boards, sophomore James Stevick earned honorable mention All-America honors in 2011-12 and is back at the NCAA Championships once again.
CMS NCAA Championship Qualifiers and Events (Alphabetical by Last Name)
Marc Blumberg: 800-yard freestyle relay, 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard butterfly
Devin Bowers: 200-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle
Joseph Hinton: 200-yard individual medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle
Jordan Lieberman: 400-yard medley relay, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard butterfly
Brad Perfect: 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breastroke
Alex Poltash: 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle
Blake Weber: 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay, 800-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard individual medley, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke
Cameron Whiting: 800-yard freestyle relay, 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle
Patrick Schultz: 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay, 100-yard butterfly
James Stevick: 1-meter and 3-meter diving
NCAA Championships Info
NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships homepage (tickets, schedule, history, travel)
Shenandoah, Texas information (lodging, restaurants, directions, facility)
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