Neethling named NCAA Swimmer of the Year
Arizona junior Ryk Neethling once again showed he is a dominant force at the NCAA Swimming Championships as he successfully defended all three of his individual titles and was named NCAA Division I Swimmer of the Year.
Neethling led the Wildcats to a fifth place finish (296 points) in the team competition by winning the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 33.59 seconds), 500 free (4:13.8) and the 1,650 free (14:35.57). The repeat in the three events made Neethling only the eighth man in NCAA history to complete a double-triple, with victories in three events in consecutive seasons.
"I came to Indianapolis to win three more titles and I did that," Neethling said. "It's my seventh title overall, so that's great, but I know that I can go even faster."
Auburn won the team championships for the second time in three years with a point total of 467.5. The Stanford Cardinal, last year's champion, placed second (414.5), Texas finished in third (356.5) and the California Golden Bears were fourth (300.5).
Also highlighting the weekend for the Wildcats were freshman Roland Schoeman and juniors Nat Lewis, Matt Allen, Corey Stickels and Rob Henikman.
Schoeman set a school record in the 100 free, swimming to a second place finish of 42.88. Lewis finished fourth in the 1,650 free (14:55.34), as Allen, Henikman, Stickels and Schoeman shattered another school record by finishing third in the 200 medley relay (1:26.52).
The performance turned in by the Wildcats this season may just be a glimpse of the more to come next season, as the Arizona men's swimming squad isn't graduating any seniors.
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