February 16, 2007
Texas A&M junior Eric Sehn won the eighth Big 12 diving title of his career with a dominating victory in the three-meter springboard on Friday on the third day of the 2007 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships at the TAMU Student Rec Natatorium.
With the win, Sehn matched the Big 12 record for individual crowns at the swimming and diving championships (with Texas swimmers Nate Dusing, Ian Crocker and Brendan Hansen) and matched A&M?â„¢s all-sport record for career individual titles (with former A&M diver Mark Naftanel, 1996-99).
Despite trailing after two dives, Sehn exploded with his final four dives to improve his school record for the second time on Friday. So dominant was Sehn that he actually had the meet won before he took his sixth and final dive. Sehn finished with a score of 421.25, which broke his record of 412.65 from the preliminary round.
?It?â„¢s actually a weird feeling,? Sehn said of having the competition won before his final dive. ?You still have to focus and zero in on that last dive. At that point I wanted to beat what I had done earlier in the morning. It?â„¢s a great feeling obviously. There?â„¢s nothing like it.
?It?â„¢s an honor (to tie Naftanel?â„¢s school record for career titles). I?â„¢m just honored that I could do it.?
Also contributing points in the three-meter springboard were freshman Matt Platt (5th, 304.5 points) and freshman Henry Stevens (8th, 242.40).
The Aggies?â„¢ 200-yard freestyle relay crushed its season best on its way to a runner-up finish in 1:19.90. A&M came into the meet with a best of 1:23.32, but the foursome of sophomore Brad Raiford, freshman Casey Strange, sophomore Shawn Clarke and senior Francisco Picasso took over three seconds off their season best.
A&M scored good points in the 400 individual medley with sophomore James Hard finishing fourth in a lifetime best 3:55.60 and junior Ryan Loney placing fifth in lifetime best of 3:56.59. Hard and Loney now stand No. 7 and No. 8 on A&M?â„¢s all-time top 10 list in the event. Also contributing points in the race were sophomore Tim Sablick (9th, 4:01.16) and senior Nick Galen (11th, 4:04.04)
True freshman Israel Duran Mata continued his impressive freshman season with a fifth place finish in the 100 butterfly in a lifetime best time of 48.44, which moves Duran to No. 7 on A&M?â„¢s top 10 list. In the consolation final, the Aggies received points from freshmen Tyler Welch (10th, 50.14) and Jason Bergstrom (11th, 50.90). Sophomore Blaine Kisler also turned in a solid 49.87 from the ?B? squad.
The Aggies scored 38 points in the 200 freestyle with fifth, sixth and eight place finishes. Junior Ryan Latone led the way for the Aggies in 1:39.23 and was closely trailed by sophomore Shawn Clarke (1:39.25) and freshman Gregory Widmer (1:40.01).
A&M?â„¢s top finish in the pool on Friday came from junior Alejandro Jacobo, who turned in a third-place finish with a time of 54.15 in the 100 breaststroke and was just .05 off the winner. It was a lifetime best for Jacobo, who moved closer to the school record of 53.84 set by his brother, Alfredo, in 2005 and now stands No. 2 on the Aggies?â„¢ top 10 list. Junior Luke Chambless finished fourth in 55.59 and Picasso placed fifth in 56.25.
In the 100 backstroke, sophomore Kyle Holland placed fifth in a lifetime best 49.25, and freshman Jason Bergstrom and Clarke finished eighth and ninth.