VIDEO: Jordan Taylor Interview
VIDEO: Roberts Zemturis Interview
VIDEO: Sights and Sounds, Day One Tennessee Invitational
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore sprinter Roberts Zemturis set a new personal record and school record in the 50 free prelims with a time of 20.04 in the first day of competition at the Tennessee Invitational.
Zemturis' time now ranks first best among all Division II swimmers in the 50 free thus far in the 2019-20 season. Dating back to last season, his 50 free time set today would place him into the NCAA Division II National Championship according to last year's times. Previously before today's competition, Zemturis' best mark was a 20.93, with his new mark setting an improvement of nearly a full second.
"To be honest, I didn't even tell my time, I didn't even know that was a new school record because my goggles were filled with water," Zemturis said with a smile. "I only got my time when I came to coach.
Zemtuis was joined in the 50 free finals will by junior sprinter Chad Andoljsek (Ribnica, Slovenia) who also set a personal best with a 20.19 in his heat race.
In the men's 50 free finals, Zemturis led C-N with a 20.12 mark, which was 13th out of 32 swimmers in the finals. Sophomore Andrei Ungur (Baia Mare, Romania) set a personal best with a 20.28, while Andoljsek surpassed his prelims best with a 20.18 in the finals.
Action at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center began with preliminary heat races in the men's and women's 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free.
In the women's 50 free prelims, senior Mary Northcutt set a new personal best with a time of 23.40. Her perseverance to this point has paid off, having previously been in the 23.50 range for many events last year.
Speaking before the finals, Northcutt said she wanted to smooth out a few details for the main event, but overall was relieved to break through and set a new best.
"It felt really good," she said. "I felt really confident when I got up on the block."
Her confidence exuded into the finals, where she knocked down her personal best set mere hours before with a 20.34. The new mark puts her fourth among all Division II women's swimmers in the 50 free this year.
Freshman Linda Ungerboeck (Vienna, Austria) opened the event for C-N in the 500 free prelims, where her 5:05:24 time set a new personal best by over 12 seconds from her 5:17:24 mark against Wingate on Oct. 18. She followed it up with an even better, 5:03.63 in the evening finals. Her finals time ranks her ninth in Division II in 2019.
On the men's side of the 500 free, sophomore Matthew George (Manchester, England) blew past the previous Division II mark to beat in the prelims by over four seconds, setting a new division best with a 4:26.50. He nearly outdid himself in the finals, posting another fast-paced 4:26.87
In the women's 200 IM prelims, sophomore Meredith Ginn (Ocala, Fla.) also set a new personal best with a time of 2:05.50. It is now the seventh-fastest time in Division II for the 2019 season.
Senior Caleb Howell (Easley, S.C.) inched his season best in the 200 IM ever closer to his personal best of 1:47.79 set in last year's national championship with a 1:50.12 mark during the prelims. His time set at this weekend's event gives him the best mark in Division II this season.
With a flurry of personal best and potential qualifications times set, coach Taylor felt that the team came in with a positive attitude and ready to attack each race despite facing a plethora of tough opposition.
"We're in a really good place," Taylor said. "Great performances and everyone had something positive to take away from their swims, even if it wasn't quite a best time, there was still good things in those races and also some things to work on."
The invitational rolls on tomorrow with the men's and women's 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast and 100 back. Prelims are set for 10 a.m., with the finals at 5:30 p.m.
