Brian Benzing Breaks Sergio Lopez’s 1991 CAA Record in 200 Breast Prelims

2024 MEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Towson senior Brian Benzing has been making a name for himself over the last couple years as one of the top mid-major swimmers in the country. But, while he’s rewritten the Coastal Athletic Association (formerly the Colonial Athletic Association) record books in a few different events, the 200 breast record had eluded him.

That is, until this today. The morning after taking 2nd in the 100 breast finals, Benzing knocked nearly two seconds off of his lifetime best to qualify 16th for the 200 breast with a time of 1:52.71.

In doing so, Benzing demolished a conference record that had stood since 1991, when Sergio Lopez of American University went 1:54.49. At the time, Lopez was the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the long course version of that event.

Lopez, of course, is probably better known today to the average American swim fan as a swim coach than an Olympic medalist. And in perhaps the best part of this whole story, Lopez is at NCAAs this week as the head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies. This morning, VT swimmers Carles Coll Marti and AJ Pouch qualified 7th and 9th in the prelims of the 200 breast.

Benzing also owns the CAA records in the 100 breast, 200 IM, and 200 free, and he’ll have another shot to lower the 200 breast record tonight. That will be his final race as a Towson Tiger, but he plans to transfer to Indiana University next year to use his fifth year of eligibility. Indiana has a built a reputation as a strong breaststroke school, and they’ll a swimmer in each of the 200 breast finals tonight as well.