2021 NCAA Division II Men’s Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2021 NCAA Division II Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 17 – Saturday, March 20, 2021
• Birmingham CrossPlex / Birmingham, AL (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending champion: Queens (5x) – 2019 results
• Streaming
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s psych sheet

Day Three

McKendree’s Fabio Dalu, who has already won the 1000 free and 400 IM, is looking to pick up his third victory in the 500 free today. Karol Ostrowski, the NCAA record-holder in the 50 free and co-winner of the 200 free yesterday, comes in with the fastest time in the 100 back but Emanuel Fava of Delta State had the fastest leadoff on the 400 medley relay last night. Joao Santos of Emmanuel and Gerald Brown of Lindenwood are the top two seeds in the 100 breast. Indy’s Jan Zuchowicz was the fastest breaststroke leg from the medley relays. Wingate’s Iran Almeida and 2019 NCAA champion Alex Kunert of Queens are the ones to watch in the 200 fly.

Men’s 500 Yard Freestyle – Prelims

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

Top 16 qualifiers:

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Christian Hedeen, UIndy – 4:23.11
2. Fabio Dalu, McKendree – 4:23.86
3. Luke Erwee, Queens – 4:24.03
4. Mohamed Hegazy, Queens – 4:24.79
5. Luke Mikesell, IUP – 4:24.92
6. Hendrik Faber, Queens – 4:25.37
7. Sebastian Wenk, UIndy – 4:25.61
8. Jonas Soerensen, Wingate – 4:25.67
9. Enzo Kihara, Emmanuel – 4:26.62
10. Elder Oliveira, Florida Southern – 4:26.65
11. Ean Vandergraaf, Drury – 4:26.86
12. Eric Hieber, Grand Valley – 4:26.98
13. Ondrej Zach, Northern Michigan – 4:29.08
14. Daniel Mizera, Wingate – 4:29.33
15. Ethan Hathcock, Wingate – 4:29.37
16. Melker Olsson, Lindenwood – 4:29.42

McKendree sophomore Fabio Dalu took the final heat in a comfortable 4:23.86 over Queens junior Mohamed Hegazy (4:24.79) and Indy junior Sebastian Wenk (4:25.61).

At the halfway mark in heat 3, it was Wingate junior Jonas Soerensen and Florida Southern sophomore Elder Oliveira with a slight lead over Grand Valley freshman Eric Hieber. Oliveira then broke away, and Queens senior Hendrik Faber and Emmanuel freshman Enzo Kihara moved even with Soerensen and Hieber. Oliveira wasn’t finished, though, and pulled up to Soerensen. Over the final 50, Soerensen kicked it into another gear but Faber eked out the win.

In heat 2, Indy sophomore Christian Hedeen was chased by IUP freshman Luke Mikesell and Queens junior Luke Erwee throughout, but he pulled off the win with 4:23.11. Erwee caught Mikesell on the final 50 but both dropped 2.6 seconds and finished with 4:24.03 and 4:24.92, respectively.

Northern Michigan senior Ondrej Zach took 3.4 seconds off his seed time to win heat 1 in 4:29.08.

Men’s 100 Yard Backstroke – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 45.09 – Marius Kusch, Queens (NC) (2019)
• Meet Record: 45.09 – Marius Kusch, Queens (NC) (2019)

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Tim Stollings, Findlay – 46.96
2. Emanuel Fava, Delta State – 47.04
3. Giulio Brugnoni, Delta State – 47.08
4. Finn Howard, Queens – 47.18
5. Nathan Bighetti, Drury – 47.41
6. Lamar Taylor, Henderson State – 47.50
7. Daniel Aizenberg, Florida Tech – 47.53
8. Brandon Dyck, Florida Southern – 47.66
9. Iskender Baslakov, Fresno Pacific – 47.79
10. Karol Ostrowski, Drury – 47.81
11. Franz Mueller, Wayne State – 47.86
12. Kham Glass, Drury – 47.92
13. Noah Clancy, Missouri S&T – 48.06
14. Jeron Thompson, UIndy – 48.14
15. DaVante Carey, McKendree – 48.29
16. Angelo Russo, Tampa – 48.30

There was a shuffling of the deck in the men’s backstroke, as two of the top four seeds failed to make the A final and seeds 6, 12, and 5 all dropped time from their seeds to grab the first three slots.

After Henderson State freshman Lamar Taylor went 1.7 seconds better than his seed time to win heat 1 in 47.50 over Drury junior Kham Glass (47.92), Findlay sophomore Tim Stollings eked out a heat 2 win over Delta State junior Emanuel Fava, 46.96 to 47.04. Swimming in lane 4 of that heat was Queens sophomore Finn Howard, the #2 seed overall. He finished third with 47.18.

Delta State senior Giulio Brugnoni, who won the consolation final at 2019 NCAAs, took heat 3 in 47.08. Drury junior Nathan Bighetti (47.41) was second, while Florida Southern senior improved his seed time by .46 to finish third with 47.66. Wayne State senior Franz Mueller dropped .2 to come in fourth (47.86).

Top-seeded Drury freshman Karol Ostrowski took the final heat but his time of 47.81 was nearly a full second off his seed time. In fact, the whole heat was slower than expected. Missouri S&T freshman Noah Clancy dropped .03 to finish second in 48.06 but Indy sophomore Jeron Thompson was more than 1 second off his entry time to touch third in 48.14.

Men’s 100 Yard Breaststroke – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 51.63 – Anton Lobanov, Nova S’eastern (2015)
• Meet Record: 51.63 – Anton Lobanov, Nova S’eastern (2015)

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Joao Santos, Emmanuel – 52.40
2. Gerald Brown, Lindenwood – 53.43
3. Dawid Nowodworski, Drury – 53.56
4. Jan Zuchowicz, UIndy – 53.76
5. Filipe Pinheiro, McKendree – 53.83
6. Jan Delkeskamp, Queens – 53.89
7. Mahmoud Elgayar, Colorado Mesa – 53.95
8. Roberto Camera, Northern Michigan – 54.02
9. Caleb Carlson, Drury – 54.06
10. Mark Franz, Truman State – 54.60
11. Joshua Umrysh, Missouri S&T – 54.71
12. Robert Spekis, Nova S’eastern – 54.76
13. Henrik Dahrendorff, McKendree / Marco Flores, Missouri S&T – 54.92 (tie)
14. –
15. Micah McRea, Lenoir-Rhyne – 54.94
16. Olle Williamsson, Nova S’eastern – 54.95

Colorado Mesa junior Mahmoud Elgayar opened the heats of the 100 breast with a 53.95 win over Drury junior Caleb Carlson (54.06). McKendree senior Henrik Dahrendorff and Missouri S&T junior Marco Flores tied for third in the heat with 54.92. Flores placed eighth as a freshman in this event at 2019 NCAAs.

Lindenwood senior Gerald Brown clocked a 53.43 to edge Drury junior Dawid Nowodworski (53.56, PBx.6) and Indy senior Jan Zuchowicz 53.76 (PBx.2). Zuchowicz finished fifth at NCAAs in 2019. Balazs Berecz of Queens was fourth in the heat but ended up DQd for a stroke infraction.

2019 runner-up and Emmanuel senior Joao Santos dropped .76 from his seed time to win the final heat in 52.40. McKendree freshman Filipe Pinheiro, swimming out in lane 7, took .8 off his seed time to touch out Queens junior Jan Delkeskamp, 53.83 to 53.89.

Men’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Prelims

• NCAA DII Record: 1:41.19 – Alex Kunert, Queens (NC) (2019)
• Meet Record: 1:41.19 – Alex Kunert, Queens (NC) (2019)

Top 16 qualifiers:

1. Alex Kunert, Queens – 1:42.88
2. Iran Almeida, Wingate – 1:44.80
3. Yannick Plasil, Queens – 1:45.39
4. Dominik Karacic, Drury – 1:45.52
5. Andy Huffman, Missouri S&T – 1:46.50
6. Miguel Bernotti, Florida Southern – 1:47.06
7. Patryk Winiatowski, Lindenwood – 1:47.29
8. James Brown, Drury – 1:47.34
9. Alexander Capizzo, Wayne State – 1:47.61
10. Robert Clayton, Mines – 1:47.82
11. Felipe Lemos, Northern Michigan – 1:47.88
12. Andrew Rodriguez, Drury – 1:47.91
13. Federico Bracco, Delta State – 1:48.04
14. Rusty Jerger, Queens – 1:48.12
15. Oscar Saura Armengol, Grand Valley – 1:48.77
16. Ruben Van Leeuwen, Lewis – 1:48.87

Queens freshman Yannick Plasil cruised to a 1:45.39 win in heat 1, while Florida Southern senior Miguel Bernotti dropped .87 to finish second in 1:47.82.

Queens junior and NCAA Record-holder Alex Kunert clocked a 1:42.88 to win heat 2 by several body lengths. Coming to the wall behind him were junior Andy Huffman of Missouri S&T (1:46.50, PBx.8) and, in close succession, Lindenwood sophomore Patryk Winiatowski (1:47.29, PBx.35), Drury junior James Brown (1:47.34), and Wayne State freshman Alexander Capizzo (1:47.61 PBx.3).

Wingate senior Iran Almeida turned in the second-fastest time of the morning with his heat 3 win in 1:44.80. Drury sophomore Dominik Karacic improved his seed time by .2 and finished second with 1:45.52. His teammate Andrew Rodriguez was third in the heat (1:47.91).