The University of Tampa men broke the DII NCAA record in the men’s 200 freestyle relay Friday night at the 2015 Spartan Invitational held in Clearwater, Florida.
Junior Martin Hammer kicked things off for the team with a 19.93 leadoff to put the team in first as the only leadoff swimmer to dip under 20-seconds.
Heading into the water after Hammer was senior Jordan Augier. Augier put up the fastest split of the team with a very swift 19.57. That time kept the lead for the University of Tampa men with 100 yards to go, and put them right in contention to break the record.
Junior Runar Borgen came very close to matching Augier’s split, throwing down a 19.67 to keep them in line to break the NCAA record. It was Jeremy Parker’s split however, that solidified the record as he swam a 19.65 in order to touch the wall in 1:18.82.
That time got the men under the previous DII NCAA record time of 1:19.00 that Drury University swam back in March of 2014.
The time ranks the University of Tampa men ninth overall this season in any division of the NCAA. Currently, the fastest time from an NCAA team in any division this season was a 1:17.13 from the University of Alabama.
Jeremy Parker showed up to practice with my training group in VA. I can confirm that he was in fact shaved.
Congratulations Tampa. Great swimming all around last weekend. Merry Christmas
Interesting that this was accomplished in December in Florida. I’m assuming this was during a “Christmas Training Trip” during which many teams are pounding yardage and breaking bodies down in preparation for a stretch run into conference champs and NCAAs. (Of course, Tampa is already in Florida.) Notable also is that the previous record set by Drury was in March 2014. That presumably was at the NCAAs, with a shave and taper. I could be wrong, and maybe U Tampa shaved/tapered for a Christmas meet … but I doubt it! I’m sure I’m not alone in expecting even greater things from these guys in March!
congrats U of Tampa!
Woosh
Congrats! My only question is why is a guy with the last name Hammer lead off? Seems a little out of place, bet he could drop at least second going fourth..
Not sure if you have info we dont but..how? How can you say, with what this article gives us, that he could drop “at least a second” off a relay start? Accounting for starts I would think he was just around as fast as the rest of the relay
But he would be able to drop the Hammer much better than anyone else coming home.
He was :19.13 anchoring the 200M.R. The next day with a legit legal take off. Props to them boys and their coachesz
And…..CONGRATULATIONS to the Tampa Men….. Awesome swim!!!!