IOWA CITY, Iowa - Mizzou senior Sam Tierney earned his third straight All-America first team honor in the 100 breast with a fourth-place finish in the event during Friday action at the 2015 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Iowa City, Iowa. Additionally, junior Daniel Graviss and the 200 medley relay team notched honorable mention All-America accolades to highlight Mizzou's day.
With one day remaining at the Championships, the Tigers sit 13th as a team with 82 points.
Tierney, who was fifth in the event last season and seventh in 2013, matched former Tiger Kevin DeForrest's placement of fourth in the 1979 50 free as the highest Missouri men's swimming finish ever. The senior swam a 51.54 Friday morning to break his own school record and enter finals seeded fourth. Tierney then matched both his seed and his prelims swim with a 51.54 in finals to claim fourth and the fifth first team All-America honor of his career.
The 200 medley relay team garnered Missouri's third top-10 relay finish of the meet after taking second in the consolation final and 10th overall in a school record time of 1:24.49. The foursome of redshirt junior Dillon Love, Tierney and sophomores Andrew Sansoucie and Michael Chadwick originally broke the program mark in prelims with a 1:24.84 but lowered their time in finals to move up to 10th. The finish also marks the first time in program history the men earned All-America honors in three separate relays at the same Championships.
Graviss claimed the first All-America honor of his career with a stellar showing in the 400 IM. He broke his own school record in prelims with a time of 3:44.16 to qualify for the consolation final in 16th. Graviss then moved up to 13th overall in the event after placing fifth in the final in a swim of 3:44.30 to solidify is honorable mention All-America award.
Senior Mack Darragh also swam the 400 IM, taking 20th in a personal best 3:44.83, a time also lower than Graviss' old school record.
Chadwick and senior Andrew Phillips represented the Tigers in the 200 free. Chadwick clocked a time of 1:34.63 to take 23rd overall, while Phillips was 33rd in a personal best 1:36.01.
Also swimming on Friday was sophomore Carter Griffin, who finished 35th after touching the wall in 47.21.
In the diving well, junior Clark Thomas placed 34th overall after notching a score of 341.75 in preliminaries.
Final day preliminary action gets underway on Saturday, March 28 at 11 a.m. CT.
2015 Mizzou All-Americans
First Team
Christian Aragona - 200 free relay
Michael Chadwick - 200 free relay
Matthew Margritier - 200 free relay
Sam Tierney - 100 breast, 200 free relay
Honorable Mention
Michael Chadwick - 50 free, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
Daniel Graviss - 400 IM
Carter Griffin - 400 medley relay
Dillon Love - 200 medley relay
Andrew Sansoucie - 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
Sam Tierney - 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
Day Two Results
200 Medley Relay
10. Love, Tierney, Sansoucie, Chadwick (1:24.49 finals, 1:24.84 prelims)
400 IM
13. Daniel Graviss (3:44.16)
20. Mack Darragh (3:44.83)
200 Free
23. Michael Chadwick (1:34.63)
33. Andrew Phillips (1:36.01)
100 Breast
4. Sam Tierney (51.54 prelims and finals)
28. Igor Kozlovskij (53.26)
100 Back
35. Carter Griffin (47.21)
3-Meter Springboard
34. Clark Thomas (341.75)