Men's Swimming and Diving Send Seven to NCAA Championships
3/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? The Alabama men’s swimming and diving team will send seven athletes to the 2007 NCAA Championships, competing in a dozen events. The Crimson Tide's nationals crew will be a strong mixture of youth and experience.
Senior All-Americans Vlad Polaykov and Apostolis Tsagkarakis are both making their fourth appearance at the national championships. Polayakov has finished in the top-2 at the NCAA Championships in the 200 breaststrokes each of his first three years and is seeded second in the 200 breaststroke and third in the 100 breaststroke. Polyakov won the NCAA 200 Breaststroke title in 2005. Tsagkarakis, a nine-time All-American, is seeded fourth in the 50 freestyle.
All-American sophomore Mark Randall is making his second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships. He is seeded 11th in the mile after finishing fifth in that event last season. Senior All-American Hunor Mate’ is making his second appearance at the NCAA Championships for the Tide. He earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 200 breaststroke in 2005.
Sophomore Chris Perry, Polyakov, freshman Alin Mihalca and Tsagkarakis will combine to compete in the 200 medley relay. Perry is making his second trip to the NCAA Championships after earning honorable mention All-American honors in the 200 and 400 medley relays as a rookie.
Freshman Aaron Fleshner will compete in all three diving events after taking second at the NCAA Zone B Championships and third at the Southeastern Conference Championships off the three-meter board.
Polyakov and Tsagkarakis both earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships while Randall and Mate’ along with the relay earned at-large bids. Fleshner earned his ticket at the NCAA Zone B Championships.
Competition at the NCAA Championships starts Thursday, March 15 in Minneapolis, Minn. at the University Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus.
