Men's Swimming & Diving

Phillips Begins Competition at NCAA Championships

ONEONTA, NY - Hartwick College swimmer Michael Phillips (Austin, TX/James Bowie) completed his first day of competition at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships on Wednesday after swimming in the 200-yard individual medley preliminaries. Phillips, competing at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, MN, placed 31st in the nation in the event with a time of 1:54.85.

Phillips, who placed second at the UNYSCSA/Empire 8 Championships in late February in the 200 IM, is the first Hartwick swimmer to compete at nationals since 2006. He still has two events remaining on his docket in the next few days at the championships.

Tomorrow, Phillips swims in the 200 free prelims at 10 a.m. (CST). A top-16 effort would send him into the finals at 6 p.m.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., the sophomore competes in the prelims of perhaps his strongest event, the 200 breaststroke. He ranks 13th in the country and has yet to be beaten all year in a 200 breast race. His last time swimming the event, Phillips captured the UNYSCSA and Empire 8 titles while shattering a Hartwick record with a time of 2:04.60.