NCAA Division I Men’s Championships: Cory Chitwood Defends 200 Back Title With Touchout Win Over Eric Ress

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 26. ARIZONA's Cory Chitwood had just enough left at the touch to overcome a significant challenge by Indiana's Eric Ress, who is still recovering from a broken hand sustained a month ago, in the men's 200-yard back at the NCAA Division I Men's Championships.

Chitwood clocked a 1:38.84 to move to sixth all time on the performers list with the 12th-fastest time of all time. He defended his title from a year ago, won with a 1:39.29. He is the only Wildcat to win the event. Ress, meanwhile, clocked in with a 1:38.96 for second, as Chitwood won by .12 seconds. The NCAA record is a .10 triumph as Ohio State's LB Schaefer beat Princeton's Jed Graef, 1:58.7 to 1:58.8, back in 1962. Chitwood's win is the closest since measurements went to the hundredths.

Florida's Marco Loughran (1:40.95), Stanford's Matt Swanston (1:42.00), Stanford's Matt Thompson (1:42.12), Texas' Austin Surhoff (1:42.28), Arizona's Michael Sheppard (1:42.29) and Texas' Cole Cragin (1:46.15) completed the A final.

Auburn's Kyle Owens won the B final in 1:41.57, while West Virginia's Jared Christie-Goldthorpe finished 10th overall in 1:42.17. Auburn's Max Murphy (1:42.36), Ohio State's Markus Sievers (1:42.50), USC's James Lendrum (1:42.68), Texas' Patrick Murphy (1:43.03), California's Guy Barnea (1:43.10) and California's Mathias Gydesen (1:44.01) also swam in the B final.

California maintained its lead with 355 points, while Texas closed with a second-place 346.5. Stanford (324), Arizona (246) and Florida (241) rounded out the top five.

Top 10 Average Scoring Running Projections*:
California (482.25), Texas (464.5), Stanford (390.75), Arizona (303.25), Florida (293.625), Auburn (267.5), USC (203.25), Virginia (201.125), Michigan (199.25), Georgia (120.875)

* Average Scoring Projections based on the average points allotted to an A finalist (14.75) and a B finalist (4.625). Double points for relays.

Swimming World's NCAA Division I Men's Championships Notes Package Sponsored by NISCA

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