{"id":467136,"date":"2021-03-26T15:19:48","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T22:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=467136"},"modified":"2021-03-26T20:26:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-27T03:26:09","slug":"bobby-finke-runs-down-foster-with-23-8-final-50-to-win-400-im-ncaa-title-for-gators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/bobby-finke-runs-down-foster-with-23-8-final-50-to-win-400-im-ncaa-title-for-gators\/","title":{"rendered":"Bobby Finke Runs Down Foster With 23.8 Final 50 to Win 400 IM NCAA Title For Gators"},"content":{"rendered":"

Florida junior\u00a0Bobby Finke\u00a0<\/strong>had an unbelievable last 50 in the final of the 400 IM at 23.83 to run down Texas freshman\u00a0Carson Foster\u00a0<\/strong>with a final time of 3:36.90 to Foster’s 3:38.25.<\/p>\n

Finke was hardly in the picture during the race as Foster was dominating the race for the first 300, turning at 2:46.12 head of Finke at 2:47.46. Finke is one of the top closers in the country, as this was a near mirror image of the 400 IM at the 2019 summer nationals<\/a> when Finke ran down Foster a year and a half ago. Finke threw down a 49.4 on the freestyle leg compared to Foster’s 52.1, who went faster this morning and also in October when he went 3:35.<\/p>\n

Bobby Finke is now 12th all-time with his swim.<\/p>\n

“I really just have to shout out to all the staff and trainers at home. The last month has been a whirlwind,” Bobby Finke said after the race. “I was just trying to stay calm throughout the fly and try to stay underwater on the breaststroke.”<\/p>\n

Cal’s\u00a0Sean Grieshop\u00a0<\/strong>also closed well to nearly catch Foster for second with a 50.49 on the final 100 to get third at 3:38.73 ahead of Arizona’s David Schlicht\u00a0<\/strong>(3:39.89) and Texas’\u00a0Jake Foster\u00a0<\/strong>(3:40.16).<\/p>\n

Texas’\u00a0Braden Vines<\/strong> (3:41.28), Georgia’s\u00a0Ian Grum\u00a0<\/strong>(3:42.35) and Texas’ David Johnston\u00a0<\/strong>(3:43.06) also swam in the championship final.<\/p>\n

Texas has pulled in front of Cal by three points by virtue of their four A-finalists, the most for any school in any event at the men’s meet since Texas had six up in the A-final of the 100 fly.<\/p>\n

Also notably Cal’s\u00a0Hugo Gonzalez\u00a0<\/strong>won the B-Final with a time that was quicker than what won the A-Final at 3:36.73, but will only receive nine points for Cal. The last time the B-Final winner was faster than the A-Final was in 2002 when Texas’\u00a0Chris Kemp\u00a0<\/strong>had a faster time from the B-final than Florida’s\u00a0Adam Sioui<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Florida now has five NCAA titles in the 400 IM as Bobby Finke joins the likes of Greg Burgess\u00a0<\/strong>(1993, 1994) and Ryan Lochte\u00a0<\/strong>(2004, 2006) as winners of the event for the Gators.<\/p>\n