2017 NCAA Division II Men: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

Division II Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 8-11, 2017
• Birmingham CrossPlex, Birmingham, Alabama
• Prelims 10:30 AM, Finals 6 PM – U.S. Central Time Zone (GMT -6 currently)
• Event schedule
• Real-time results – diving
• Real-time results – swimming
• Video link (expected to be available when meet starts)
• Championship Central

 Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay – Final

• Division II: 1:17.27 3/10/2016 Tampa

1. Florida Tech 1:19.46
2. Bloomsburg 1:19.65
3. Florida Southern 1:19.77
4. Drury 1:20.06
5. Grand Valley 1:20.33
6. Wingate 1:20.52
7. Queens (NC) 1:20.57
8. Nova S’eastern 1:20.97

Florida Tech earned its first national title in the men’s 200 free relay with a solid team effort from senior Nir Barnea (20.20) and sophomores Victor Rocha Futado (19.90), Matthew Gallene (19.61), and Filip Dujmic (19.75). The Panthers battled the whole way with Bloomsburg, who led through the halfway point. Samuel Feiser (20.16), Eric Usbeck (19.78), A.J. Brady (20.15), and Kyle Dix (19.56) gave Bloomsburg a runner-up finish with 1:19.65 and just held off Florida Southern’s Noah Franz, Nico Campbell, Diego Gimenez, and Marco Palacios (1:19.77).

Men’s 400 Yard Individual Medley – Final

• Division II: 3:43.84 3/12/2015 Nick Arakelian, Queens (NC)

1. Nick Arakelian, Queens (NC) 3:45.01
2. Adrian VanderHelm, Simon Fraser 3:48.07
3. Gabriel Hernandez, UC San Diego 3:48.52
4. Brandon Schuster, Cal Baptist 3:48.81
5. Cristian Vasquez, Lindenwood 3:48.86
6. Michael Oliver, West Chester 3:53.16
7. Felix Eigel, Lindenwood 3:53.52
8. William Shanel, Truman State 3:53.82

Simon Fraser’s Adrian VanderHelm blasted off and established the early lead, throwing down a 50.2 in the 100 fly. Gabriel Hernandez of UC San Diego was the only one within a half-body length of the leader; he made the turn in 50.8. The pair had a significant lead over the rest of the field, and defending champion Nick Arakelian of Queens was in 8th place. Arakelian passed everyone but the two leaders with his 100 back, making up about 3 seconds on VanderHelm. Arakelian broke it open over the breaststroke leg, then came home with a 3-body length lead to win with 3:45.01.

Hernandez pulled ahead of VanderHelm in the breast, and held a .33 lead at the 350, but VanderHelm split a 25.7 over the final 50 and got the touch, 3:48.07 to 3:48.52. Hernandez took third, holding off Cal Baptist freshman Brandon Schuster (3:48.81) and Lindenwood sophomore Cristian Vasquez (3:48.86), who came in together just behind him.

Victor Polyakov of West Chester eked out a win in the consolation final with 3:50.40.

Men’s 100 Yard Butterfly – Final

• Division II: 44.89 3/12/2015 Matthew Josa, Queens (NC)

1. Paul Pijulet, Queens (NC) 45.62
2. Marius Kusch, Queens (NC) 45.81
3. Gabriel Souza, Grand Valley 46.66
4. Aleksei Averchenko, Fresno Pacific 47.07
5. Sebastian Holmberg, Wingate 47.19
6. Jun Han Kim, Drury 47.62
7. Thiago Sickert, Nova S’eastern 47.74
8. Rodrigo Caceres, Drury 48.31

Queens junior Paul Pijulet, the bronze medalist in the 50 free on Day One, dropped another tenth from his morning swim and touched out teammate, sophomore Marius Kusch, 45.62 to 45.81. Grand Valley junior Gabriel Souza came in third with 46.66, just ahead of Fresno Pacific freshman Aleksei Averchenko (47.07) and Wingate junior Sebastian Holmberg (47.19).

Freshman Matija Pucarevic put first-year program McKendree on the scoreboard with a 47.96 win in the B final.

Men’s 200 Yard Freestyle – Final

• Division II: 1:32.46 3/10/2016 Dion Dreesens, Queens (NC)

1. Dion Dreesens, Queens (NC) 1:33.85
2. Joan Casanovas, Drury 1:35.13
3. Guilherme Zavaneli, Indianapolis 1:35.34
4. Jonathan Glaser, Missouri S&T 1:36.77
5. Konrad Stepien, Drury 1:37.07
6. Lennart Queiss, Wingate 1:37.12
7. Leif-Henning Kluever, Wingate 1:37.20
8. Mattia Schirru, Delta State 1:38.56

Defending champion and NCAA Division II record-holder Dion Dreesens of Queens washed no time getting out ahead of the field; he was already up by half a body by the 50. Going out with him was Indy sophomore Guilherme Zavaneli. Dreesens increased his lead at the 100, now up by a body length, while Drury freshman Joan Casanovas moved up on Zavaneli.

Dreesens scorched his third 50 and it looked like he might break his national record, but he fell off pace. Nevertheless it was a resounding win; he clocked in at 1:33.85, well over a body length ahead of Casanovas (1:35.13) and Zavaneli (1:35.34). Jonathan Glaser of Missouri S&T led the next wave into the wall, finishing fourth in 1:36.77.

Freshman Laios Budai of Northern Michigan won the B final by .15, going 1:37.90

Men’s 400 Yard Medley Relay – Final

• Division II: 3:08.07 3/12/2015 Queens (NC)

1. Queens (NC) 3:07.38
2. Nova S’eastern 3:11.81
3. Fresno Pacific 3:12.30
4. Wayne State 3:12.67
5. Grand Valley State 3:12.81
6. Drury 3:13.21
7. Florida Southern 3:13.82
8. Lindenwood 3:14.64

Queens exacted revenge, after having lost by 4/100 to Florida Southern in this event last year, by winning decisively with a new NCAA Division II meet record this time around. Pijulet (46.68) got the Royals off to a strong start, turning essentially together with Lindenwood’s Serghei Golban. Rostyslav Fedyna took over even with Lindenwood, and up by a body-length over Wayne State. His 52.20 100 breast put Queens comfortably out front. Meanwhile, Nova S’eastern’s Anton Lobanov outsplit the breaststroke field by 6/10, going 51.65 and pulling even with Wayne State in second place. Kusch, who was runner-up to Pijulet in the 100 fly tonight, had the fastest butterfly leg, going 45.55; Queens was now three body lengths up. Dreesens crushed the anchor, splitting 42.95 to beat the 2015 NCAA D2 record by .69. Fresno Pacific freshman Dmitry Belolipeskiy anchored with 43.73 and moved the Sunbirds past Wayne State for third, while Nova S’eastern hung on for second.

Men’s Team Scores – Day Two

*Based on actual results plus psych sheet seeding for remaining days