2018 NCAA Division II Men’s Championships – Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2018 NCAA Division II Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, March 14 – Saturday, March 17
• Swimming: prelims 10am, finals 6pm; Diving: 2pm
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: Queens (results)
• Psych Sheet
• Video
• Live Results
• Championship Central

Day 3

Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DII: 4:17.09 3/11/2016 Dion Dreesens, Queens (NC)
• Meet: 4:17.09 3/11/2016 Dion Dreesens, Queens (NC)

1. Joan Casanovas, SO Drury University 4:20.08
2. Rolando Hernandez, SO Simon Fraser 4:21.59
3. Franco Lupoli, SR Nova S’eastern 4:22.57

Simon Fraser sophomore Rolando Hernandez jumped out to an early lead, followed closely by Drury sophomore Joan Casanovas. The two led through the 200, turning together just ahead of Indy freshman Adam Rosipal, the fastest qualifier from morning heats. Casanovas, the defending champion, pulled in front at the 250, with Hernandez just at his hip. The two were several body lengths up at the 300. Franco Lupoli of Nova S’eastern started to make his move with 50 yards to go. He closed hard but fell short of catching Hernandez. Casanovas repeated as 500 free champion, this year with 4:20.08. Hernandez claimed the silver medal in 4:21.59, with Lupoli touching third in 4:22.57.

Indy freshman Adam Rosipal (4:25.45), Drury senior Alexandre Reinbrecht (4:25.69), Simon Fraser junior Mackenzie Hamill (4:25.74), Missouri S&T sophomore Tim Samuelsen (4:29.88), and Simon Fraser Andrew Woinoski (4:32.08) completed the final.

Men’s 100 Yard Backstroke – Finals

• NCAA DII: 46.27 3/10/2016 Marco Palacios, Florida Southern
• Meet: 46.27 3/10/2016 Marco Palacios, Florida Southern

1. Paul Pijulet, SR Queens (NC) 45.88
2. Giulio Brugnoni, FR Delta State 46.48
3. Harry Shalamon, SO Grand Valley 47.12

Queens senior Paul Pijulet destroyed the NCAA Division II and Championship Meet Record, going 45.88 to take .39 off the old mark set by Marco Palacios of Florida Southern in 2016. Pijulet was out in 22.16 and home in 23.72, controlling the race from start to finish.

Delta State freshman Giulio Brugnoni swam an impressive race in his own right, going 46.48 for second place with 22.56/23.92, and breaking the school record. Third place went to Grand Valley sophomore Harry Shalamon in 47.12.

Wayne State junior Dmytro Drobnych, just behind Shalamon, led the next wave to the wall, touching fourth in 47.33 ahead of Indy junior Rodrigo Codo Berti (47.55), Iskender Baslakov of Fresno Pacific (47.61), Northern Michigan sophomore Lajos Budai (47.77), and Florida Southern freshman Brandon Dyck (47.86).

Men’s 100 Yard Breaststroke – Finals

• NCAA DII: 51.63 3/13/2015 Anton Lobanov, Nova S’eastern
• Meet: 51.63 3/13/2015 Anton Lobanov, Nova S’eastern

1. Andrea Bazzoli, SR Drury University 52.71
2. Henrik Dahrendorff, SO Saint Leo 52.93
3. Luis Jasso, SR Florida Southern 53.22

It was a tight race through the first 50, with the entire field turning together. Drury senior Andrea Bazzoli held a slight lead, followed by Saint Leo sophomore Henrik Dahrendorff. At the 75, Florida Southern senior Luis Jasso joined the leaders, who maintained less than a half body length lead over the rest of the field. Bazzoli hung on through to the end, stopping the clock at 52.71 for the win. Dahrendorff went 52.93 for second, while Jasso took third in 53.22.

Fourth through eighth went to Eric Tolman of Cal Baptist (53.30), Giacomo Viazzo of Wingate (53.46), Justin Winnett of Lindenwood (53.48), Fernando Morillas of Oklahoma Baptist (53.83), and Sasha Palazzo of Wayne State (54.23).

Men’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Finals

• NCAA DII: 1:42.04 3/10/2017 Marius Kusch, Queens (NC)
• Meet: 1:42.04 3/10/2017 Marius Kusch, Queens (NC)

1. Marius Kusch, JR Queens (NC) 1:42.16
2. Janko Radmanovic, SR Findlay 1:43.15
3. Matheus Isidro, SO Lindenwood 1:44.98

Queens junior Marius Kusch took off like he meant business. He was out in 22.00, under (his own) record pace by .26 at the 50. By the 75 he was already up a body length. He turned in 47.35 at the 100, now .29 under record pace. Kusch kept powering through his race, all alone against the clock. His 150 split was 1:13.88, or .75 faster than his previous record pace. But coming home proved hard than last year, and he finished just off his record with 1:42.16.

Findlay senior Janko Radmanovic was the only one anyone near Kusch. A body length behind at the 100, and nearly two at the 150, he came home a full second faster over the final 50 yards to finish second in 1:43.15. Lindenwood sophomore Matheus Isidro pulled away from the rest of the field over the second half of the race to take third with 1:44.98.

Lindenwood junior Cristian Vasquez followed his teammate in fourth with 1:46.43. Next came Southern Connecticut sophomore Leonardo Laporte (1:47.21), Wingate sophomore Nazarii Kosylo (1:48.00), Missouri S&T sophomore Aaron Taske (1:51.30), and McKendree freshman Matija Pucarevic (1:55.84).

Men’s 800 Yard Freestyle Relay – Fastest Heat

• NCAA DII: 6:18.46 3/10/2017 Queens (NC) (Dreesens, Pijulet, Kusch, Arakelian)
• Meet: 6:18.46 3/10/2017 Queens (NC) (Dreesens, Pijulet, Kusch, Arakelian)

1. Queens 6:25.42
2. Florida Southern 6:29.69
3. UIndy 6:31.02

Queens got off to an immediate lead with Marius Kusch (1:33.76), building up a several body length lead by the first exchange. Freshman Mosic followed and extended the lead; by the time he handed it off to Nick Arakelian the Royals were three body lengths up. Florida Southern was in sole possession of second place, following the leaders as closely as they could. The excitement was taking place in the outside lanes, where Saint Leo and Indy were battling for third. McKendree was in the mix, too.

At the end it was Queens (Kusch 1:33.76, Mosic 1:36.98, Arakelian 1:37.13, Christopher Mayes 1:37.55) with the win in 6:25.42. Florida Southern (Matthew Holmes, Nico Campbell, Luka Matacin, Luka Planinc) took second in 6:29.69. Indy came in third with 6:31.02, and McKendree touched out Saint Leo, 6:32.57 to 6:32.87, for fourth. Cal Baptist closed hard at the end and tied Saint Leo for fifth with 6:32.87. Seventh place went to Missouri Science and Technology (6:33.11), who had been the fastest team out of morning heats. Northern Michigan, the second-fastest team of the morning, took eighth with 6:33.90.

                      Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 31                      
 
  1. Queens (Nc)                       414   2. Indy                              222
  3. Cal Baptist                       215   4. Florida Southern                  213
  5. Drury                             201   6. Oklahoma Baptist                  178
  7. Wingate                           150   8. Lindenwood                        123
  9. Fresno Pacific                    120  10. Wayne State                       109
 11. Delta State                       108  12. Saint Leo                          95
 13. McKendree                          86  14. Nmu                                83
 15. Simon Fraser                       80  15. Missouri S & T                     80
 17. Grand Valley                       79  18. Florida Tech                       64
 19. Nova S'Eastern                     62  20. Colorado Mesa                      61
 21. Ucsd                               45  22. Truman St.                         38
 23. Findlay                            23  24. Tampa                              19
 25. St. Cloud St.-W                    18  26. Carson-Newman                      14
 26. Southern Conn                      14  28. Clarion                            11
 29. Henderson St                        8  30. Jewell                              5
 31. Bloomsburg                          2  32. Catawba                             1