Having been busy tearing up carpet and padding, etc, and preparing the house and dinner for a birthday feast (my wife's birthday), I hadn't much time to pay attention to the last bits of the swimming season.
My only prediction for the day was the kind that doesn't count: the kind that no one else hears you make. I predicted (to myself) that Ryan Lochte would break his own 200 yard backstroke record, and of course that he did. The new record is 1:37.68, which is about six-tenths of a second faster than his old record. Call it about three and a half feet improvement at the touch. Lochte also had the second-fastest leadoff leg in the 4x100 free relay, which is an amazing stat given that he's not really considered to be a world-class sprint freestyle swimmer. Overall Lochte had an outstanding meet, setting four NCAA records, winning three individual events and contributing greatly to Florida's place in the team standings. If Lochte doesn't get the MVP award (can't recall offhand what it's called exactly) then there is no justice.
Other outstanding swimming today had Michigan senior Davis Tarwater scare Melvin Stewart's fourteen-year-old 200 butterfly record; missed it by 0.06 seconds. Georgia sophomore Sebastien Rouault also put the scare on Chris Thompson's record in the 1650 with a 14:29.43. He's got 2.8 seconds to go, but he's also got a couple of years in which to bring the time down.
Purdue (my alma mater) had an unusually high scoring day, with breaststroker Giordan Pogioli grabbing fifth place in the 200 breaststroke finals, and diver Steven LoBue earning third place in the platform diving. LoBue also took sixth on the 3m board and seventh on the 1m board.
I don't have access to all of the final team scores, but Auburn took first, Arizona second, Stanford third, Texas fourth and Florida fifth. Purdue placed sixteenth overall with 59 total points.
Thanks, Slarti. Life is in the details.
Jake
Posted by: Jake - but not the one | March 25, 2006 at 10:49 PM
There's room in there for the devil _and_ life? Still, must be cozy.
Posted by: rilkefan | March 25, 2006 at 11:21 PM
btw, Slarti, did you note my stab at an explanation for the American record the relay team with two non-Americans. I haven't been able to google up anything decisive, but I believe that if it is an American amatuer entity, it would qualify. Also, I think Americans competing in an international competition (so that the world body of which the US body is a member is the sponsoring organization) also can set an American record. Does that make sense? I googled up something about an American 4x100 relay team that was sponsored by a European concern which was not able to get an American record, but I can't find it again.
Posted by: liberaljaponicus | March 25, 2006 at 11:38 PM
Kenyon College finished no. 1 for the 27th year in a row for Division 3 schools. No notation of that feat? I don't think any college at any level of any sport can beat that.
Posted by: moe99 | March 26, 2006 at 10:34 AM
Sorry, Moe99, but as impressive as that is, it's still Division 3. If it was a D3 school setting NCAA records, I think that would be another thing entirely. Not diminishing their record, mind you, just noting that they probably wouldn't have scored in the top 20 if they were competing on the D1 level.
I tend to look at performers, not schools, unless it's a school I've got an interest in.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | March 26, 2006 at 08:58 PM
Dang! Posted in the wrong thread -- *this* was the thread I wanted to OT in, 'cause of the sportliness. But what the heck: completely OT, the Cornell-Wisconsin hockey game (for the last seat in the Frozen Four) is about to enter 3OT; now officially the longest scoreless game in NCAA history, currently the third longest game in NCAA history, and almost certain to become at least the second-longest.
Posted by: Anarch | March 26, 2006 at 09:12 PM
Uh...and also slightly OT, I just watched Florida's basketball team make the Final Four. Coolness.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | March 26, 2006 at 09:25 PM