Four Gator Swimmers Earn Top-10 Finishes on Second Day of National Championships
Thursday, August 5, 2010 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Four Gator swimmers finished in the top 10 Wednesday on day two of the 2010 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine, Calif. It marked the second consecutive day that four current or former Florida athletes placed in the top 10.
Former Gator great Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) anchored the Gators' efforts, finishing second in the men's 200-meter freestyle finals. Lochte swam the event in 1:45.78, the second-fastest time in the world this year. The seven-time NCAA champion was edged out by 2008 Olympic teammate Michael Phelps, who won the event with a time of 1:45.61.
“The whole race felt solid,” Lochte told USA Swimming. “I knew (Phelps) was going to go out fast. I just tried to stay up with him and save as much energy as possible and then hammer that last 50.”
Senior Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.), who defeated both Lochte and Phelps in the prelims, finished fifth in the finals. His finals mark of 1:47.35 was the fourth-fastest time in school history in the men's 200 free.
Incoming freshman Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) continued her torrid pace as well, finishing sixth in the finals of the women's 100-meter backstroke. Her time of 1:00.77 was the second-best time in school history in the women's 100 back. Other Gator women competing included junior Teresa Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa.) and sophomore Jamie Bohunicky (Gainesville, Fla.). Crippen earned 12th place in the women's 200 free with a time of 1:59.83, the fourth-fastest time in school history. Bohunicky finished 19th in the finals of the same event with a time of 2:01.23. Her prelim time of 2:01.05 was sixth-best all-time in the Florida women's program.
Former Gator Rex Tullius (Port Orange, Fla.), a five-time All-American at Florida, was the last Gator to finish in the top 10. Tullius took eighth in the men's 100 back with a time of 55:10.
Florida Finishes
Women's 100-meter Back
6. Elizabeth Beisel – 1:00.77
31. Lily Ramirez – 1:03.82
43. Alana Pazevic – 1:04.26
Women's 200-meter Free
12. Teresa Crippen – 1:59.83
19. Jamie Bohunicky – 2:01.23
24. Shara Stafford – 2:03.32
31. Elizabeth Beisel – 2:01.89
Men's 200-meter Free
2. Ryan Lochte* - 1:45.78
5. Conor Dwyer – 1:47.35
38. Logan Storie – 1:52.41
41. Jeffrey Raymond – 1:52.75
59. Connor Signorin – 1:53.52
Men's 100-meter Back
8. Rex Tullius* - 55:10
Men's 200-meter Fly
16. Cameron Martin – 2:02.08
40. Mike Joyce – 2:03.81
63. Jeffrey Raymond – 2:06.09
