COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Florida junior Shaune Fraser of the Cayman Islands set a school record in winning the 200-yard freestyle in a personal-best time of 1:31.70 at the 2009 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships Friday at Texas A&M University.
The victory helped the Gators into sixth place with 225 points going into the final day of competition and it was Florida’s second championship in the three-day meet. Senior Bradley Ally of Fort Lauderdale won the 200 individual medley in 1:40.49 on Thursday.
“We had a really great day today,” head coach Gregg Troy said. “We are in for a dogfight tomorrow. We’re going to have to come back and have another great day of swimming.”
Texas leads after two days of competition with 348 points, six more than Auburn. Stanford is third with 298.5 points, California fourth with 239, Arizona fifth with 229, four points ahead of Florida. Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia and Texas A&M close out the Top 10.
Fraser’s sophomore brother, Brett, also swam in the 200 free, swimming the consolation heat and improving to finish 10th overall in 1:33.71.
After junior Omar Pinzon, junior Clark Burckle, Ally and Brett Fraser clocked a school-record 1:24.94 in the 200-yard medley relay during the prelims, Senior Rex Tullius, Burckle, Pinzon and Fraser swam to a 1:25.45, eighth-place finish in the final.
Ally and Burckle later finished third and fifth in the 400-yard individual medley. Ally was clocked in a time of 3:38.20, barely missing the UF record (3:38.15) held by Ryan Lochte. Burckle clocked 3:41.85.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Pinzon swam to seventh place (45.99) in the championship heat, while Tullius swam a career-best 45.82 to finish first in the consolation final, ninth overall.
The Gators closed out the second day with a ninth-place finish in the 800-yard free relay. Sophomore Balazs Gercsak, the Fraser brothers and freshman Jeff Raymond were clocked in 6:22.03.
The prelims and finals of the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 butterfly, 400 FR, platform diving and the mile are set for Saturday. Prelims start at 1 p.m. while finals begin at 8.