The William & Mary men's swimming team competed at the Princeton Last Chance meet on Saturday, looking for a few more chances at qualifying for the NCAA Championships. While a relay invite remained elusive, the Tribe did pick up a total of five provisional qualifying marks across four relay performances.
- First up was the prelims of the 200 free relay, where W&M finished first overall in 1:17.65, the third-fastest time in school history. Senior
Colin Wright (Williamsburg, Va.) led-off in another B-cut time of 19.50, and was followed by classmate
Ian Thompson (Alexandria, Va.), sophomore
Graham Hertweck (Greensboro, N.C.), and senior
Jack Doherty (Middletown, Va.).
- Next, the 200 medley relay team of
Colin Demers (Virginia Beach, Va.),
Flynn Crisci (Williamsburg, Va.), Doherty, and Wright took a shot at the qualifying time in that event. Demers timed 21.67 in the 50 back lead-off, the second-fastest split behind only his own 21.17 from the CAA Championships, but Doherty was judged just a split second too early on his takeoff and the team was disqualified.
- The early take-off bug would strike again, as happens sometimes when teams are pushing themselves to the utmost, in the time-trial of the 200 free relay taht W&M swam in the early afternoon. The same foursome as earlier swam it that time, with Wright leading off in another B-cut time, 19.39, but the early take-off on Hertweck's leg, even more slight than Doherty's, was flagged by the referee.
- The 200 free relay gave it one more shot in the finals of the event on Saturday evening, this time swimming 1:17.66, the fourth-fastest time in school history. Wright's lead-off time was a day's-best 19.33.
William & Mary's season will continue in two weeks, with the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, March 25-28. Wright is in line to receive an invite to the national meet in both the 50 free, swum on Thursday, March 26, and in the 100 free on Saturday, March 28. The official selections will be announced by the NCAA on Wednesday, March 11.
