NCAA Men's Swimming Preview

Men’s Swimming Has Several Chances at Individual National Champions

With seven swimmers holding times ranking in the top three of their respective events, the UW-Stevens Point men’s swimming and diving team has plenty of chances to bring home an individual NCAA Division III champion for the fourth straight year.

The Pointers’ best chance at this weekend’s meet in Atlanta could come from junior Randy Boelk, who has the nation’s best time in the 200 backstroke at 1:49.86. Boelk won the 1998 crown, but may be challenged by teammate Jeremy Francioli, who has the nation’s fifth-best time in the event and won the 1997 national title.

Boelk and Francioli will also contend for the individual title in the 100 backstroke. Estevao Avila of Kenyon (Ohio) holds the nation’s best time at 49.84, but Boelk ranks second at 49.96 and Francioli is third at 50.83.

The relay events count double in the team standings and will be the key to UW-Stevens Point’s chances of a second consecutive finish in the top four. The Pointers have finished in the top 10 four straight years and are ranked third in the country this season. Kenyon has won 20 consecutive team championships, which is a record in all NCAA sports for any division.

The Pointers have won two consecutive national titles in the 400 medley relay and bring the nation’s second-best time into this year’s event. Francioli and Boelk swam on both of those record-setting relays and are joined this season by Brent Newport and Nick Hansen. Anthony Harris replaces Boelk for the 200 medley relay, which has the nation’s third-best time.

Hansen, Harris and Boelk will team with Eric Sands in the 200 freestyle relay and and Boelk, Harris, Francioli and Hansen will swim the 400 freestyle relay.

Boelk is also a favorite in the 200 individual medley with the nation’s second-best time at 1:52.67, ranking just .42 seconds behind Jason Faulconer of Hartwick (N.Y.).

Other individual qualifiers for the Pointers include Nick Hansen in the 50 freestyle, Anthony Harris in the 100 butterfly and Brent Newport in the 100 breaststroke.