Teams: Men's Swimming & Diving: Press Releases

Monday, March 6, 2006

SEVEN JUMBOS QUALIFY FOR NCAA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Official Psyche Sheet

MEDFORD – The Tufts University men's swimming & diving team will send a large contingent of seven to the NCAA Division III Championship meet to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 16-18. Entered in 12 events, the Jumbos are looking to place among the top 20 teams at the meet.

Making the trip for Tufts will be senior quad-captain Brett Baker (Englewood, CO/Cherry Creek), junior Greg Bettencourt (West Granby, CT/Westminster School), junior Justin Fanning (Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle), senior Jon Godsey (Dallas, TX/Jesuit College Prep), senior quad-captain Jason Kapit (Garrett Park, MD/Walter Johnson), senior Mike Kinsella (Hinsdale, IL/Hinsdale Central), and freshman Andrew Shields (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk).

The Jumbos are seeded among the top 10 in four events entering the NCAA meet. The 800 freestyle team of Bettencourt, Fanning, Godsey and Baker obliterated the school record with a time of 6 minutes, 49.04 seconds at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championships that is ranked fourth nationally. Bettencourt's school-record time of 4:33.17 in the 500 freestyle is fifth in the nation and Godsey's 1:51.32 in the 200 backstroke is seventh. Both are school records, and Godsey's won the conference championship. Kinsella, Shields, Kapit and Baker's time of 1:23.51 in the 200 freestyle relay is seeded ninth in the NCAA race.

Tufts is capable of finishing among the top 20 teams in several other events. In the 200 freestyle, Bettencourt and Baker are seeded 12up>th (1:41.28) and 13^th (1:41.29), respectively. Fanning is also entered in that race. Godsey is seeded 18^th in the 100 backstroke with his best time of 52.16 seconds. The 400 medley relay is 11^th (3:28.15), the 400 freestyle relay is 13^th (3:06 flat) and the 200 medley relay is 14^th (1:34.90).

Other individual events involving Jumbos will be the 200 individual medley, in which Godsey is seeded 45^th with a time of 1:57.35. The 50 freestyle features two Jumbos, Kinsella (21.26 seed time for 33^rd) and Baker (21.43/41^st). Baker will also swim in the 100 freestyle (46.50/27^th) along with Bettencourt (47.54/42^nd. There are three events overall in which multiple Tufts swimmers will start. Kapit is seeded 29^th in the 200 butterfly with a 1:54.78 best time.

A few of the Jumbos are making repeat NCAA appearances. Baker earned All-American honorable mention recognition last season with a 10^th place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:41.83). He also competed in the 100 freestyle (47.38 seconds/34^th) and the 50 freestyle (22.33/51^st). Godsey joined Baker at last year's national championships, narrowly missing the finals in the 100 backstroke with a time of 52.46 seconds that finished in a three-way tie for 16^th place and forced a swim-off. He ended up 17th. He also competed in the 200 backstroke (1:55.49/23^rd) and in the 200 individual medley (1:58.72/36^th).

In 2004, Kinsella, Baker and Kapit swam in the 200 freestyle relay finals at Nationals. They took 15^th in 1:25.88. Kinsella also touched in 21.54 seconds for the 50 freestyle for 34^th place at the meet.

During this year's three-day championship meet, the trials will begin at 11:00 am and the finals will commence at 6:30 pm.

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