March 26, 2011

Complete Results

Freshman Vladimir Morozov finished fourth in the 100y free and spearheaded USC's All-American 400y free relay that finished third, both in school-record fashion, as the Trojans finished seventh on the final day of the 2011 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday (March 26).

USC improved its NCAA finish for the fourth year in a row under fifth-year head coach Dave Salo, scoring 206 points. Troy was 11th last year. Cal won the team title (493) and was followed by Texas (470.5), Stanford (403), Arizona (302), Florida (291), Auburn (269.5), USC, Virginia (200), Michigan (181) and Georgia (125.5).

Morozov, sixth in the 50y free on Thursday, qualified seventh for the 100y free final with a 42.36 in prelims. In the final, swimming out of lane 1, Morozov lowered his school record for the seventh time this year, this time from 41.92 to 41.88, 0.04 out of third. Pac-10 rival Nathan Adrian, who squeaked into the final with an eighth in prelims, won the final in 41.10. Morozov is the first Trojan to earn All-American honors in the 50y and 100y free in the same year since Bjorn Zikarsky in 1991.

USC's 400y free relay earned All-American status for the first time since 2002 as Morozov, senior Clement Lefert, junior Jeff Daniels and freshman Dimitri Colupaev placed third in 2:50.32, breaking the school record the same quartet registered in prelims. In the morning, going with an order of Morozov, Colupaev, Lefert and Daniels, the unit went 2:50.86, which temporarily lowered the school record set in December (2:51.58).

Making his NCAA scoring debut, sophomore Alex Lendrum finished 13th in the 200y back in 1:42.68. He qualified for a second swim with a 1:42.36 in prelims. He was 20th last year.

Colupaev just missed out on earning a second swim in the 100y free, going 43.10 in prelims to finish 17th, 0.03 out of the consolation final. The time made him the third fastest Trojan ever in the event behind Morozov and Erik Ran.

Other USC finishers included senior Richard Charlesworth in the 1650y free (22nd, 15:10.38), sophomore Nick Karpov in the 200y back (25th, 1:43.99, season best), senior Dillon Connolly in the 200y breast (1:58.90), Lefert in the 200y fly (1:45.66) and freshman Chase Bloch in the 200y fly (1:47.68).

Said Salo after the meet: "The reward of the performances of both the men's and women's teams the past two weeks is the acknowledgement from others - `The Trojans are Back!'

"This weekend was purely a team effort most reflective in the performances of our relays. Nearly every effort involved a team record of some kind. The men stepped up and swam faster in the evenings and the pride they felt for a job well done was, and is, infectious.

"The commitment to this effort can't be expressed anymore than the sacrifice by Clement Lefert, who gave up a certain opportunity to represent France at the World Championships this summer (French trials coincided with NCAAs).

"Vladimir Morozov came through his freshman campaign with flying colors. He was a workhorse and never wilted."

USC's 2011 NCAA All-Americans
Dimitri Colupaev - 200y Free, 400y F.R., 800y F.R.
Jeff Daniels -- 200y F.R., 400y F.R.
Harrison Jones - 3M
Clement Lefert - 200y Free, 200y F.R., 400y F.R., 800 F.R.
Vladimir Morozov - 50y Free, 100y Free, 200y F.R., 400 F.R.
Jack Wagner - 800y F.R.
Emmett Walling - 200y F.R.
Patrick White - 800y F.R.

Other USC individual scores
Richard Charlesworth - 500y Free (13th)
Harrison Jones - 1M (11th), Platform (9th)
Alex Lendrum - 200y Back (13th)