Gator Country

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Freshman Marcin Cieslak (Warsaw, Poland) tied the school record in the 200-meter butterfly at the 2011 Eric Namesnik Michigan Grand Prix, hosted by USA Swimming this past weekend at the Canham Natatorium on the campus of the University of Michigan. The 2011 SEC Male Freshman Swimmer of the Year finished in the top 10 in each of his three races.

Cieslak started off the meet by winning Friday’s prelims in the 100 fly with a pool-record time of 53.14. The mark broke the 2002 pool record set by Japan’s 2004 Olympic medalist Takashi Yamamoto. Cieslak returned to the pool Friday night and took second (53.08) to Olympic legend Michael Phelps (52.30), the 2008 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 100 and 200 fly. Cieslak’s mark of 53.08 ranks fourth in school history.

On Saturday, the Poland native won the 200 fly prelims with a time of 1:58.13. The five-time All-American came back in the evening to defeat the fourth-place Phelps, finishing second with a time of 1:57.13. Although Cieslak took second overall to 2004 and 2008 Olympic 200 fly finalist Peng Wu of China (1:56.62), Cieslak tied Omar Pinzon’s school record set at the 2009 FINA World Championships. Cieslak and Wu’s defeat of Phelps marked the first time since 2002 that Phelps suffered defeat in the event.

The eight-time All-SEC competitor finished off his weekend Sunday in the 200-meter individual medley. After touching the wall in 2:03.93 for the 10th-quickest time in the prelims, Cieslak won the B finals to take ninth overall in the event with a time of 2:00.68, the third-quickest mark all-time at Florida.

Other current Gators competing at the event included sophomores Sarra Lajnef (Tunis, Tunisia) and Rodion Davelaar (Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles). Lajnef took second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:11.63, sixth in the 200 breast (2:35.62) and 13th in the 200 IM (2:21.44). Davelaar’s lone event was the 100 breast, finishing 23rd overall with a time of 1:06.49.

Former Gator great Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) was the top former Gator at the meet, finishing second in three different events (100 & 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard freestyle). Shaune Fraser (George Town, Cayman Islands), who owns the men’s school record with 27 All-America honors, finished in the top 20 in three different events (200 free, 200 fly, 200 IM). Roberto Gomez (Weston, Fla.), who swam at Florida from 2008-2010, finished in the top 60 in all three of his races (50, 100 & 200 free)

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