Junior Craig Vetor and senior Jordon Blackwell turned in record-setting performances at the 2009 North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championship Meet in Canton, Ohio. Vetor broke the Wabash record in the 200 freestyle in Friday's preliminary round, while Blackwell set a new mark in the 100 free during a Thursday night time trial.
Vetor posted a time of 1:41.45 to break Eric Verduin's mark of 1:41.87 set in 1993 at the NCAA Championship meet. Vetor's mark was the third-best time in Friday morning's session in the 200 free and easily topped the NCAA "B" cut time of 1:42.85.
Blackwell competed in a 100 freestyle time trial Thursday evening, finishing with a time of 46.3 to break the record of 46.40 set by Michael Shannon at the Liberal Arts Invitational in 1999. Blackwell will also join Vetor in Friday night's finals in the 200 freestyle after finishing 11th with a time of 1:43.89 in the prelims. Chad Woods was 14th (146.29) and Brian Graham was 15th (1:47.15) to also earn a berth in the "B" final. Wabash swimmers Blaine Cooper-Surma (18th; 1:48.03), Logan Falley (19th; 1:48.23), and Chris Kermin (21st; 1:49.32) will all swim in the "C" finals.
Evan Rhinesmith will swim in the "A" finals of the 100 breaststroke Friday night. He was fifth in the morning session with a time of 59.01, narrowly missing the NCAA "B" cut time of 58.52. Paul Buescher and Jordan Extine earned spots in the finals, as well. Buescher's time of 1:01.06 was 14th-best in the prelims. Extine turned in the 18th-quickest time at 1:01.63.
The Little Giants placed two swimmers in the "B" final of the 400-yard individual medley. Elijah Sanders finished with the 12th fastest morning time of 4:13.84, while Pete Hewitt was 13th at 4:19.91.
Adam Current had the fastest time among four Wabash swimmers earning spots in the finals of the 100-yard butterfly. Current was 12th in the morning session with a time of 51.52. Eric Vaughn was 13th-fastest at 51.53, while David Birrer was 14th after touching in 52.08. Robert Fozkos will compete in the "C" final after finishing 20th in the prelims (54.10).
Nick Rockefeller and Steve Zajac will represent Wabash in the finals of the 100 backstroke. Rockefeller will swim in the "B" final after posting a time of 54.56. Zajac was 20th-fastest with a time of 55.64.
Wabash finished fifth in the 200-yard medley relay prelims. Extine, Vaughn, Birrer, and Cooper-Surma posted a time of 1:37.89.