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 Bruno Blanco, David Lutz and A.J. Erard all won their events Friday night. |
Feb. 18, 2005
DETROIT - The Wayne State men's swimming and diving team continued to show why they are the defending conference champions Friday night at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.
The Warriors won three events on the night, each in spectacular and even record-breaking fashion.
In the 400 yard individual medley, freshman A.J. Erard (Troy, Mich./Univ. of Detroit-Jesuit) caught the 2004 champion, Drew Hastings of the University of Indianapolis, on the breaststroke leg and pulled away in the freestyle to win with a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 4:04.17.
Erard's swim against the multiple-time All-American also set a new Matthaei pool record. Sophomore Jared Troyer (Portage, Mich./Central) took third behind Hastings and senior Jason Sanchez (Lake Orion, Mich.) placed sixth (4:16.49) to complete WSU scoring in the event.
Junior Bruno Blanco (Rio de Janiero, Brazil/Princesa Isabel) won the 100 butterfly in GLIAC-record time. Blanco's 50.42 in the preliminary session broke the 13-year-old mark of 50.62 (Eric McIllquam of Oakland Univ.).
Blanco lowered the mark in finals to 50.14, which is also a NCAA automatic qualifying time.
Senior All-American David Lutz (Rochester, Mich./Adams) battled back from a half-second deficit at the 50-yard mark of the 100 backstroke to tie Michael Lapustin of Lewis University for the championship. Both swimmers touched the wall at 51.80.
Earlier in the evening Lutz also took third in the 200 free (1:42.82), only 0.59 seconds behind champion Josh Rogers of Lewis University.
If the Warriors going to win their third consecutive conference title, they will do so coming from behind. Wayne State trails Grand Valley State by 34.50 points, 503 to 468.50, and so the GLIAC championship remains very much up for grabs entering the final day of competition.
Saturday's events begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Matthaei Aquatic Center.
