2019 NCAA Division III Men’s Championships – Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2019 NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, March 20 – Saturday, March 23, 2019
• Swimming: prelims 10am, finals 6pm; Diving: 2pm
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: Denison (results)
• Digital Program
• Official Psych Sheet
• Live Video
• Live Results │ Diving Results
• Championship Central

Day One

Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 4:18.35  3/15/2017   Arthur Conover, Kenyon

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Bryan Fitzgerald, Kenyon – 4:26.22
2. Thomas Gordon, Emory – 4:26.26
3. Matthew Hedman, Denison – 4:26.47
4. Jackson Karofsky, Williams – 4:26.52 / Robert Williams, Kenyon – 4:26.52
5. –
6. James Lovette, Williams – 4:26.72
7. Connor Rumpit, Kenyon – 4:26.97
8. Jason Hamilton, Emory – 4:27.01
9. James Baker, Denison – 4:27.68
10. George Abele, Pomona-Pitzer – 4:28.87
11. Paddy Baylis, Pomona-Pitzer – 4:30.80
12. David Pearcy, Williams – 4:30.84
13. Drake Horton, Denison – 4:30.85
14. Christopher Arena, Johns Hopkins – 4:30.95
15. Taye Baldinazzo, Chicago – 4:31.05
16. Keven Stahl, York – 4:31.21

The men kicked off their 2019 NCAA Division III Championships with some fast swimming from the first heats. Williams sophomore David Pearcy dropped an improbable 11.6 seconds to win the first heat of 500 frees with 4:30.84 ahead of Tay Baldinazzo of Chicago, whose 4:31.05 was a 2.8-second improvement from his seed time. Both qualified for tonight’s consolation final from heat 1. Johns Hopkins freshman Noah Corbitt won heat 2 in 4:33.45 over Whitworth’s Ryan Grady (4:35.10).

Kenyon went 1-2 in the first circle-seeded heat as freshman Bryan Fitzgerald held a wire-to-wire lead and won with 4:26.22, going 2.62 seconds faster than his entry time, and senior Robert Williams touched in 4:26.52, taking 1.06 off his seed time.

Emory freshman Jason Hamilton went out like a shot and held a big lead through the 400, but Williams sophomores Jackson Karofsky and James Lovette came back over the final 100 yards to touch Hamilton out. Karofsky went 4:26.52 (-1.16) to Lovette’s 4:26.72 (-.77). Hamilton dropped 4.03 from his seed time to finish 3rd with 4:27.01 and make the championship final.

There was a tight battle in the middle lanes in the final heat between Denison senior Matthew Hedman and Kenyon junior Connor Rumpit. Then Emory senior Thomas Gordon made his presence known, and sprinted to the finish to win the final heat in 4:26.26 (-1.69). Hedman touched right behind in 4:26.47, while Rumpit came to the wall in 4:26.97 (-.45).

Men’s 200 Yard Individual Medley – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:44.18 3/15/2017 Andrew Wilson, Emory

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Collin Miller, UW Eau Claire – 1:47.78
2. Kevin Van Cleave, Wash U. MO – 1:48.43
3. Robert Wang, Denison – 1:48.92
4. Emile Kuyl, Johns Hopkins – 1:49.21
5. Bouke Edskes, MIT – 1:49.26
6. Luis Weekes, Kenyon – 1:49.45
7. Robert Williams, Denison – 1:49.57
8. Brad Stevenson, Denison – 1:49.58
9. Richard Kurlich, Denison – 1:49.74
10. Zachary Chen, Emory – 1:49.83
11. Zachary Lorson, Emory – 1:49.89
12. Jordan Ren, MIT – 1:50.11
13. Lance Culjat, Chicago – 1:50.40
14. Keda Song, Chicago – 1:50.46
15. Maxwell Chen, Johns Hopkins – 1:50.48
16. Patrick Pema, Emory – 1:50.49

USMMA freshman Patrick Tolloti improved his seed time by 1.68 seconds and won heat 1 in 1:52.82. JHU freshman Dylan Wachenfeld was second in the heat with a best-by-5.1-seconds 1:53.96. Chicago junior Lance Culjat went 1:50.40 (-1.39) to win heat 2 and land a spot in the consolation final. Emory freshman William O’Daffer was second with 1:51.19 (-.85). Denison freshman Richard Kurlich followed in the next heat with a big swim, dropping 1.43 seconds and winning in 1:49.74 over Emory freshman Patrick Pema (1:50.49, -.77) and JHU freshman Jeffrey Vitek (1:52.22, -.60).

2018 runner-up Kevin Van Cleave of Wash U claimed the first circle-seeded heat with 1:48.43. JHU senior Emile Kuyl (6th a year ago) stopped the clock at 1:49.21 from lane 1, while Denison junior Robert Williams (7th in 2018), came to the wall in 1:49.57 from lane 8.

MIT junior Bouke Edskes and Kenyon freshman Luis Weekes swam an even race, with Edskes just out-touching Weekes at the end, 1:49.26 to 1:49.45.

The final heat went to Eau Claire junior Collin Miller. He clocked a field-leading 1:47.78 (-.98) to win by a body length over Denison junior Robert Wang (1:58.92) and by two over Emory senior Zachary Chen (1:49.83).

Men’s 50 Yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 19.37 3/21/2018 Oliver Smith, Emory

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Roger Gu, Tufts – 19.69
2. Mathias Kolleck, Emory – 19.84
3. Kymani Senior, Denison – 20.01
4. Joseph Rodriguez, Coast Guard – 20.02
5. Kevin Gillooly, Rowan – 20.14
6. David Fitch, Kenyon – 20.19
7. Christopher Schiavone, F&M – 20.20
8. Scott Romeyn, Amherst – 20.26
9. Sage Ono, Emory – 20.35
10. Nathaniel Davenport, Johns Hopkins – 20.37
11. Brandon Fabian, Johns Hopkins – 20.40
12. Aaron Green, Widener – 20.42
13. Samuel Ubellacker, MIT – 20.43
14. Jacob Burchfield, UW LaCrosse – 20.46
15. Matthew McHugh, Denison – 20.49
16. Jared Britton, Calvin – 20.50

Nolan Monahan of USMMA dropped .96 from his seed time to win the opening heat of 50 freestyles with 20.70. Carnegie Mellon sophomore Justin Britton was the heat 2 winner with 20.69. Behind him were Denison senior Carson Clear (20.82, -.05) and Emory freshman Colin Lafave (20.95). Wash U junior Peyton Wilson improved his seed time by .07 to take heat 3 in 20.55 over Washington & Lee sophomore Patrick Sullivan (20.69). Emory junior Sage Ono was the next heat winner, going 20.35 (-.17) to touch out Chicago sophomore Jonathan Mendley (20.64).

Emory senior Mathias Kolleck (5th in 2018) cracked a 19.84 (-.34) for the first sub-20 of the morning. He won the first circle-seeded heat ahead of Kenyon sophomore David Fitch (20.19, -.11), JHU junior Brandon Fabian (20.40), and LaCrosse senior Jacob Burchfield (20.46).

The penultimate heat went to Franklin & Marshall sophomore Christopher Schiavone (20.20). Behind him were Amherst freshman Scott Romeyn (20.26), MIT junior Samuel Ubellacker (20.43), and Nazareth sophomore Seth Farrand (20.68).

Tufts junior Roger Gu wrapped it up with a 19.69 win in the final heat, posting the top time of the morning and coming to the wall ahead of Denison junior Kymani Senior (20.01, -.17) and Coast Guard junior Joseph Rodriguez (20.02, -.30).

Men’s 200 Yard Medley Relay – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:26.14 3/15/2017, Emory (Ono, Wilson, Tollen, Smith)

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Kenyon – 1:28.90
2. Denison – 1:28.94
3. Wash U. MO – 1:29.19
4. MIT – 1:29.27
5. Emory – 1:29.38
6. Johns Hopkins – 1:29.71
7. Coast Guard – 1:30.38
8. Tufts – 1:30.52
9. Amherst – 1:30.53
10. Calvin – 1:30.64
11. WPI – 1:30.67 / Swarthmore – 1:30.67
12. –
13. Pomona-Pitzer – 1:30.71
14. Albion – 1:30.88
15. Rowan – 1:31.08
16. John Carroll – 1:31.96

Kenyon’s Ben Baturka (22.73), AJ Reid (25.02), David Fitch (21.05), and Thomas Weiss (20.10) posted a 1:28.90 to lead the qualifiers for the 200 medley relay final. Denison’s Carson Clear (22.44), Kenny Fox (25.35), Colin Macmillan (21.44), and Kymani Senior (19.71) were only .04 behind, qualifying second with 1:28.94.

Chicago was disqualified in heat 3; they were seeded 8th coming into the meet. There was a swim-off between John Carroll and Merchant Marine Academy, both of whom went 1:31.96 in prelims to tie for 16th place. John Carroll went 1:31.56 to edge USMMA (1:31.96, again!) for the chance to race in lane 8 of the consolation final tonight.