University of Missouri
NCAA Championships
Fabian Schwingenschlogl Claims @MizzouSwimDive's First National Title
3/25/2016 9:13:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Schwingenschlogl won the 100 breast at the 2016 Men's Swimming and Diving Championships
ATLANTA - Junior Fabian Schwingenschlogl won the first-ever national title in Mizzou swimming and diving history as he claimed the 100 breast crown Friday at the 2016 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta, Ga. Schwingenschlogl swam a school record 51.29 in evening finals to out-touch Tennessee's Peter Stevens (51.51) and etch his name into the Tiger record books.
With one day of competition remaining, Mizzou sits in eighth-place with 140 points, a program record in points in a Championships.
In addition to Schwingenschlogl's win, senior Clark Thomas earned first team All-America honors with a fifth-place finish on 3-meter springboard. He set a school record with 447.05 points in prelims and notched a finals total of 417.55. Thomas claimed two honorable mention honors as a sophomore in 2014 but this marked the first first team honor of his career.
"I knew I went out fast but I had to take my chances, I had to be aggressive to win it," Schwingenschlogl said. "The last 25 was tough. At the turn there was so much adrenaline in my body I just thought, 'bring it back' and see what happens. It paid off. (Winning Mizzou's first title) is a huge thing. It will lift us higher as a team and put us on the radar. It shows that we can compete."
"We've been pretty fortunate to get some people in who've bought into the program," Head Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh said. "I don't know how many other breaststrokers swam the 800 free relay the first night, he's getting a little tired because we're swimming him a lot. That was a pretty courageous swim he swam tonight."
Schwingenschlogl entered the Championships as the top seed in the 100 breast and held to form with the fastest prelims time on Friday morning. In finals, he trailed Stevens by 0.01 at the halfway mark but closed in 27.43 to race down the Volunteer and earn his national title. Schwingenschlogl placed sixth in the event as a sophomore in 2015 and eighth as a freshman in 2014, both while swimming for Western Kentucky.
Before Schwingenschlogl's title, Mizzou's highest-ever finish by a male swimmer was fourth, accomplished by junior Michael Chadwick yesterday (50 free), Sam Tierney in 2015 (100 breast) and Kevin DeForrest in 1979 (50 free). In the diving well, David Bonuchi earned runner-up honors on platform in 2012 and tallied five additional fourth-place finishes in his career.
Junior Andrew Sansoucie and sophomore Jordy Groters also claimed honorable mention All-America honors during day three action. Groters placed 13th in the 100 breast in 52.80 (after a personal best 52.70 in prelims, while Sansoucie took 14th in the 100 fly. The junior broke his own school record with a 45.86 in prelims and notched a 46.30 in finals.
The Tigers placed first in the 200 medley relay consolation final to close the evening. Senior Dillon Love, Schwingenschlogl, Sansoucie and Chadwick clocked a school record 1:24.23 in finals to earn the ninth-place finish and honorable mention All-America honors after a prelims swim of 1:25.02.
Final day action at the NCAA Championships begins Saturday with swimming prelims at 9 a.m. CT, diving prelims at 11 a.m. CT and finals at 5 p.m. CT.
2016 NCAA Championships Day Three Results
100 Fly
14. Andrew Sansoucie (46.30 finals, 45.86 prelims)
200 Free
24. Carter Griffin (1:35.19)
27. Mikel Schreuders (1:35.27)
100 Breast
1. Fabian Schwingenschlogl (51.29 finals, 51.53 prelims)
13. Jordy Groters (51.80 finals, 52.70 prelims)
31. Eddie Mapel (53.48)
3-Meter
5. Clark Thomas (417.55 finals, 447.05 finals)
44. Kyle Goodwin (306.80)
200 Medley Relay
9. Love, Schwingenschlogl, Sansoucie, Chadwick (1:24.23 finals, 1:25.02)
Players Mentioned
