Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott<\/p>\n
GREENSBORO \u2013 A star-studded championship final field featured two swimmers with ties to the University of Michigan, giving the Wolverines a 1-2 finish in the 200 individual medley at the USA Swimming short course nationals.<\/p>\n
Kyle Whitaker, a multiple NCAA finalist in the 200 IM now swimming as a postgrad, led from start to finish and pulled away on breaststroke (29.01 split) to win by a body length with a 1:42.80. Dylan Bosch, now a junior at Michigan, was second in a strong 1:44.27. That\u2019s still 1.5 seconds slower than the automatic qualifying time needed for the NCAA championships, but is the third-fastest among college swimmers so far this season.<\/p>\n
Nolan Tesone of Louisville posted a 1:44.95 to lower his lifetime best by four tenths of a second and get in the top five among college swimmers this season. Rounding out the top eight in the championship final were Michigan\u2019s Evan White (1:45.28), Louisville\u2019s Josh Quallen (1:45.48), Princeton\u2019s Teo D\u2019Alessandro (1:45.76), Cardinal\u2019s Carlos Almeida (1:46.05) and Queens University of Charlotte\u2019s Matthew Josa (1:48.07).<\/p>\n
The N.C. State Wolfpack went 1-2 in the B final, a heat in which the lead changed hands after every stroke. With a commanding lead after back, it looked like Eric Ress might hold on for the win. But Ohio State\u2019s Tamas Gercsak put together a strong 30.36 split on breaststroke to take over the lead. But N.C. State\u2019s athletes are known for strong freestyles, and Soeren Dahl and Colin Ellington passed Gercsak in the final stroke to take the heat. Dahl won with a 1:46.66 while Ellington was second in 1:46.70. Gercsak held on for third with a 1:46.88.<\/p>\n
Ian Finnerty held back until freestyle, which helped him take the C final win with a 1:47.89 ahead of Jeremiah O\u2019Donnell, who settled for second with a 1:47.99. Swimming in lane one, Tristan Sanders snuck in for third in the heat with a 1:48.75.<\/p>\n
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