Williams College Dominates 200 Back; Jackson Breaks D3 NCAA Record at National Championships

Photo Courtesy: Hayley Good

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Women’s 200 Back

NCAA Record: 1:56.23 – Brittany Sasser, Amherst (2008)
2016 Champion: 1:56.33 – Emma Paulson, St. Thomas

As a sophomore in 2015, William’s Olivia Jackson took the 200 back crown in 1:57.24. A year later, St. Thomas’ Emma Paulson stole the title from her. In tonight’s final, senior Jackson scored redemption in this event by racing not only to first place, but also to a new Divison-III NCAA Record of 1:55.83. The previous record was held by fellow NESCAC swimmer Brittany Sasser of Amherst.

Paulson had enough to finish second, her third All-American title of these NCAAs in 1:58.61. She was out first in the 100 at 56.91 but could not hang on with a charging Jackson. Emory’s Cindy Cheng, the 200 freestyle champion, tok third in 1:58.62.

After finishing sixteenth in last night’s 100 back, Union’s Christina Belforti bounced back to place fourth in this event. This was the senior’s first All-American title of her career and was a three second drop. Kenyon’s lone swimmer Delaney Ambrosen continued her successful week by finishing earning her first individual All-American title this week.

                       === Championship Final ===                        
 
  1 Jackson, Olivia        SR Williams          1:56.43    1:55.83   20  
                 27.86        57.03 (29.17)
        1:26.22 (29.19)     1:55.83 (29.61)
  2 Paulson, Emma          SR St. Thomas        1:59.22    1:58.61   17  
                 27.57        56.91 (29.34)
        1:27.65 (30.74)     1:58.61 (30.96)
  3 Cheng, Cindy           JR Emory             1:59.95    1:58.62   16  
                 27.57        57.17 (29.60)
        1:27.65 (30.48)     1:58.62 (30.97)
  4 Belforti, Christina    SR Union             1:59.78    1:59.34   15  
                 27.81        57.70 (29.89)
        1:28.10 (30.40)     1:59.34 (31.24)
  5 Ambrosen, Delaney      SO Kenyon            2:00.52    1:59.57   14  
                 28.52        58.31 (29.79)
        1:28.88 (30.57)     1:59.57 (30.69)
  6 Daher, Sara            SR Bates             1:59.62    2:00.25   13  
                 28.16        58.32 (30.16)
        1:29.23 (30.91)     2:00.25 (31.02)
  7 Hong, Eleanore         SR Rose-Hulman       2:00.61    2:00.33   12  
                 27.97        58.26 (30.29)
        1:29.32 (31.06)     2:00.33 (31.01)
  8 Zanolli, Nicole        JR Wash U. MO        2:00.70    2:02.17   11  
                 28.67        58.68 (30.01)
        1:29.82 (31.14)     2:02.17 (32.35)

Men’s 200 Back

NCAA Record: 1:43.49 – Harrison Curley, Kenyon (2015)
2016 Champion: 1:46.10 – Jackson Lindell, Denison

The NESCAC Conference dominated the 200 back at this year’s NCAA Championships. Williams senior Ben Lin followed by Jackson’s record-breaking performance with a win of his own in a lifetime best 1:44.00. This was Lin’s third All-American title in this event and first national title after finishing in an upsetting 20th place last year. Out way ahead of the field from the start, Lin has now completed a near-perfect NCAAs winning three event and setting one new D3 NCAA record in the process.

Reigning Champion Jackson Lindell took second in 1:45.32 by swimming a very even race, and Tufts’ Kingsley Bowen took third in 1:46.33. Just a sophomore, this is an improvement on last year’s fourth-place finish in this event and is Bowen’s fourth-career All-American swim.

Freshman Gabriel Schneider (1:46.36) of MIT took fourth place while Emory sophomore Matthew Rogers (1:47.09) raced to fifth.

                       === Championship Final ===                        
 
  1 Lin, Ben               SR Williams          1:46.22    1:44.00   20  
                 24.15        49.89 (25.74)
        1:16.34 (26.45)     1:44.00 (27.66)
  2 Lindell, Jackson       SR Denison           1:46.58    1:45.32   17  
                 25.12        51.70 (26.58)
        1:18.61 (26.91)     1:45.32 (26.71)
  3 Bowen, Kingsley        SO Tufts             1:46.96    1:46.33   16  
                 24.74        50.94 (26.20)
        1:18.10 (27.16)     1:46.33 (28.23)
  4 Schneider, Gabriel     FR MIT               1:46.16    1:46.36   15  
                 24.99        51.65 (26.66)
        1:18.98 (27.33)     1:46.36 (27.38)
  5 Rogers, Matthew        SO Emory             1:46.70    1:47.09   14  
                 25.18        52.58 (27.40)
        1:19.94 (27.36)     1:47.09 (27.15)
  6 Colmenares, Carlos     FR NYU               1:47.02    1:47.32   13  
                 25.08        51.98 (26.90)
        1:19.56 (27.58)     1:47.32 (27.76)
  7 Williams, Matt         SR Claremont MS      1:46.60    1:48.06   12  
                 24.98        51.51 (26.53)
        1:19.06 (27.55)     1:48.06 (29.00)
  8 Wesseling, Jason       JR Denison           1:47.15    1:50.12   11  
                 25.83        53.38 (27.55)
        1:21.55 (28.17)     1:50.12 (28.57)

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