Back-to-Back Big 12 Titles for Jacobo, Duran Mata
Feb 17, 2007 | Men's Swimming and Diving
February 17, 2007
Back to back Big 12 titles -- both in school record fashion -- highlighted the Aggie men?™s swim team?™s night at the 2007 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday.
Junior Alejandro Jacobo (Leon, Guanajauto, Mexico) started the record-breaking with an impressive wire-to-wire victory in the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:58.11. With his lifetime best, Jacobo broke the school record of 1:58.45 set by his older brother, Alfredo, in 2005.
Moments later, true freshman Israel Duran Mata (Tijuana, Mexico) posted one of the biggest upsets of the night by chasing down Texas freshman Rick Berens and out-touching him by .08 of a second in 1:44.42 to 1:44.50. Duran Mata?™s time punched his ticket to the NCAA meet and shattered the old school record by more than a second (1:45.43 by Devin Howard, 2001).
In the team race, the Aggie men placed second with 828 points. The top-ranked Texas men won the team crown with 1,114, while Missouri finished third with 735 points.
In other action, Kyle Holland grabbed a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a lifetime best of 1:49.02. Also scoring in the race for the Aggies was freshman Jason Bergstrom, who turned in a lifetime best of 1:50.54 while placing seventh.
The Aggies scored 38 points in the 100-yard freestyle with senior Francisco Picasso taking eighth in the ?A? final in 45.72, after A&M went 1-2-3-4 in the consolation final. Shining in the ?B? final for the Aggies were sophomore Shawn Clarke (lifetime best 45.10), freshman Gregory Widmer (lifetime best 45.43), freshman Casey Strange (lifetime best 45.47) and sophomore Brad Raiford (lifetime best 45.84).
A&M rolled up 55 points in the 1,650-yard freestyle by taking third, fifth, sixth and seventh place in the race. Leading the way was 2005 1,650 Big 12 Champion James Hard in a lifetime best clocking of 15:35.46. Hard was trailed by junior Ryan Loney (5th, 15:54.54), junior Ryan Latone (6th, 15:56.24) and sophomore Tim Sablick (16:13.41).
The Aggies 400-yard freestyle relay took second with an NCAA ?B? cut time of 2:57.20. The foursome of Picasso, Strange, Widmer and Clarke shaved over three seconds off their season best in the race.
