NCAA Division I Men’s Championships: Arizona’s Clark Burckle Turns on Afterburners to Win 200 Breast

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 28. ARIZONA's Clark Burckle needed a remarkable last 50 yards, but his final surge gave him the NCAA title in the 200 breast.

Burckle clocked a time of 1:53.19, just off his prelim personal-best of 1:52.75, but it was enough to surface victorious in an incredibly exciting finish. The win is the first in the event's history for Arizona.

"I just looked over and saw I was with someone," Burckle said. "I like to race so I told myself ‘I didn't come all this way not to try to win.' I'm just super happy right now."

Texas' Scott Spann bounced back from a tough season a year ago to grab second overall in 1:53.21. During prelims, he set the pool record with a 1:52.24 to move into seventh all time. Auburn's Adam Klein, who led until the final 50 yards, fell back to third overall in 1:53.34.

Texas scored well in the event with two up in an event which favored California prior to this morning's prelims. Texas pushed its leading tally to 433 points, while California's second-place total moved up to 408.5 with Martti Aljand's fourth-place finish of 1:53.89.

Arizona (361), Stanford (306) and Florida (301) made up the rest of the top five.

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