From Emory University Athletics
Emory University senior Ross Spock claimed his first
career individual National Championship (and third overall), tying
for first place in the 100-yard backstroke, and the Emory women, in
search of their fifth-consecutive title, continued to increase
their lead in the team standings during the third day of
competition at the 2014 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving
Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In an unusual occurrence, Spock split the National Championship in
the 100-yard backstroke with Samuel Gill of Connecticut College, as
the two finished with identical times of 47.62 seconds.
Spock's time was good for a school record, over a second better
than his own program-best mark coming into the day, and was just
six-hundredths of a second off the NCAA Division III record.
Spock now has three career NCAA Division III Championships, all of
which have been claimed at this week's meet, including relay
victories as a part of Emory's 200-yard medley and 400-yard medley
relays. It was the 13th individual NCAA
Championship in the program's history, and the first ever by an
Eagle in the 100-yard backstroke. It also set a new record
for the most National Championships won by an Eagle in one year,
and tied Chris Radpour, Chris Halstead and Patrick Augustyn for the
most NCAA titles over a career.
Spock has recorded a team-best five all-America honors at this
year's meet, running his program-best career total to 20. He
also became the ninth Eagle to record all-America honors in the
same event for four-straight years with the win in the 100-yard
backstroke.
Emory sophomore Andrew Wilson claimed his sixth career
all-America honor and fourth of the year, finishing second in the
100-yard breaststroke. His time of 54.26 seconds surpassed
his own school record in the event, and bettered the previous NCAA
meet record in the 100-yard breaststroke.
The Emory men's 800-yard freestyle relay added an all-America
honorable mention finish, as sophomore Eagan Zettlemoyer,
sophomore Matt Kuhlik, freshman Mitchell Cooper and
senior Jake Stephens finished 10th with a
time of 6:43.56.
The men ended the third day in third place with 202.5 points,
trailing first-place Denison University (374 points) and
second-place Kenyon College (346 points). Johns Hopkins
University is in fourth place with 183 points.