The
Gators closed out the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships on a high note
with 10 swimmers competing during the finals. Florida had three swimmers make
the US World Championships Team that will compete in Barcelona July 27-August 4
in a total of eight events.
With
her third appearance in the A-Finals this week, junior Elizabeth Beisel
(North Kingstown, R.I.) grabbed second in the finals of the 200 IM after
clocking in at 2:12.11. With the second place finish, the 200 IM will be her
second event for the World Championships in Barcelona as she previously
qualified in the 400 IM.
The
men’s 200 IM included former Gators Ryan Lochte and Conor Dwyer. Swimming
a dominating race was Lochte, who won the 200 IM in 1:55.44 which is the fourth
fastest time in the world this year. Dwyer touched second with a time of
1:57.74 to complete the Gator sweep as both will compete in the event in
Barcelona.
Lochte
qualified for the World Championships in a men’s team high four individual
events and he was also selected to swim on the 4x100 free relay. He was the
high point winner for men at the National Championships with three event
victories and one second place finish. Dwyer will compete in the 200 free and
200 IM at the World Championships.
Representing
the Orange and Blue in the distance freestyle events were junior Alicia
Mathieu (Marlborough, Conn.) and freshman Arthur Frayler (Fort
Washington, Pa.). Mathieu continued to have a great meet as she swam to a
dominating victory in her heat of the women’s 1,500 free and finished fifth
overall. Mathieu touched the wall in a personal-best 16:19.62 to scorch her
previous personal-best 16:33 and set a new school record.
On
the men’s side, Frayler dove in for the 800 free during the finals. He clocked
in with a personal-best time of 8:02.31 to finish sixth overall.
Four
Gators made it into the B-Finals of their respective events. Freshman Ashlee
Linn (Southfield, Mich.) stopped the clock in a time of 2:20.34 to finish
16th in the 200 IM. Then swimming in the B-Final of the men’s 200 IM was junior
Connor Signorin (East Windsor, N.J.) and sophomore Carlos Omana
(Miami, Fla.). Signorin finished 13th with his time of 2:03.61 and
Omana came in 15th after posting a time of 2:03.86.
In
the 50 free, junior Brad deBorde (Longwood, Fla.) finished 12th
with his time of 22.94 in the B-Final. Competing in the C-Final for the women
was freshman Natalie Hinds (Midland, Texas). Hinds won the heat with a
personal-best time of 25.61.
In
finals action at the British World Trials, sophomore Dan Wallace (North
Berwick, Scotland) competed in the men’s 200m IM where he finished third with a
time of 1:59.00. His time set a new Scottish National record in the event.
