COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A second first-place performance by junior Shaune Fraser of the Cayman Islands helped the Florida Gators to a fifth-place finish as the 2009 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships ended a three-day run at Texas A&M University.
Fraser, who captured the 200-yard freestyle on Friday, won the 200-yard butterfly Saturday, giving the Gators three individual titles in the meet. On Thursday, senior Bradley Ally of Fort Lauderdale won the 200-yard individual medley. The three titles beings Florida’s all-time total to 35, eight of them in relay events.
In all, 11 Florida swimmers captured 33 All-America and honorable-mention certificates, and the Gators set two NCAA records and 10 school marks. Florida finished with 324 points for fifth place, its fourth such Top 5 finish in the last five years. It was the 10th straight year that Florida has finished in the Top 10.
Southeastern Conference rival Auburn won the men’s title with 526 points, beating out Texas (487), Stanford (460.5) and California (350).
“We did a fantastic job throughout this whole week, with effort from every single member on our team,” head coach Gregg Troy said. “We broke a bunch of school records and everyone garnered All-America status. You couldn’t ask for a better end to the season. Shaune’s 200 fly was one of the best 200 fly races I’ve ever seen and Bradley swam outstanding, too.”
Fraser became the first Gator to win the 200-yard fly since associate head coach Anthony Nesty did so in 1990. He was timed in 1:40.75, a new record. Joining Fraser in the 200-yard fly finals, Ally swam to a first-place finish in the consolation final in a time of 1:42.56 and finished ninth overall.
Omar Pinzon of Colombia and Rex Tullius of Port Orange both had good performances in the 200-yard backstroke. Pinzon improved on his career-best mark in the prelims with a 1:39.50 clocking, good for third place overall. Tullius, who was seeded 11th going into the consolation final, won his heat in 1:40.20 to place ninth overall.
Junior Clark Burckle, who broke his own UF record in the 200-yard breaststroke prelims, finished eighth in the finals with a time of 1:54.96. Fraser’s brother Brett was timed at 43.01, good for 13th overall, after swimming in the 100-yard freestyle consolation race.
Junior Ryan Crete of Sarasota and sophomore Joey Pedraza of Fort Lauderdale finished 11th and 20th, respectively, in the timed finals of the 1,650-yard freestyle. Crete finished in a career-best 14:50.29, while Pedraza was timed in 15:02.44.
In the final event of the meet, the 400-yard free relay, Fraser, Fraser, Ally and junior Roberto Gomez of Weston combined for a time of 2:52.00, which was good for seventh place.