Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Minnesota Pro Series (LCM)
Players Mentioned
While Okubo Shines In Minnesota, Swimmers Pick Up Several Wins At PSU
November 15, 2015 | Men's Swimming and Diving
PSU OPEN RESULTS l MINNESOTA PRO SERIES RESULTS
While the Princeton men's swimming and diving team nearly upset the Nittany Lions at their own Penn State Open, Tiger sophomore Corey Okubo was putting on a show at the Minnesota Grand Prix. Okubo, who won the 400 IM title at the 2015 Ivy Championships in record time, finished third in 400 IM (4:23.89) and fifth in the 200 fly (2:00.66) in one of the most star-studded fields in the sport.
For example, one of the four people who beat Okubo in the 200 fly was Michael Phelps. Perhaps you've heard of him? (And he didn't even win the race.)
While Teo D'Alessandro, Julian Mackrel, and Alex Lewis joined Okubo in Minnesota, the rest of the Tigers pushed Penn State to the very end in a tightly contested Penn State Open. The Nittany Lions (1189.5) edged Princeton (1156.5) by 33 points, while both defeated Connecticut (681) comfortably.
Princeton impressed immediately, winning the 200 free relay in 1:22.07. The team of En-Wei Hu-Van Wright, Christian Feiler, Ben Schafer and Sandy Bole took the race by more than one second, and Hu-Van Wright followed that up with a win in the 50 in 20.37, while Schafer took second in 20.92.
Those two joined forces to close open the session with a win in the 400 medley relay. Hu-Van Wright opened the relay, while Byron Sanborn and Cole Buese took care of the middle legs before Schafer came home for the win. Hu-Van Wright, Sanborn, Schafer and Bole also won the 200 medley relay to open the second session.
Freshman Cole Buese, who placed second in the 200 IM (1:50.81) on Friday, won his first of three events by going 3:59.03 in the 400 IM. Junior Sam Smiddy, who took third in the mile (15:56.59) earlier, finished second in the 400 IM in 4:00.64.
Schafer grabbed an individual win in the 100 fly (49.33), while Sanborn won the 100 breast in 57.09. Hu-Van Wright joined the victory parade by taking the 100 back in 48.25, and Smiddy came back to finish second in the 500 in 4:32.81.
Buese's second win of the weekend came in the 200 back (1:47.03), while Hu-Van Wright picked up his second win in the 100 free (44.59). Sanborn took the 200 breast in 2:03.22, and Buese won No. 3 by going 1:47.62 in the 200 fly.
The swimming portion ended in style for Princeton, as Hu-Van Wright, Schafer, Murphy McQuet and Bole won the 400 free relay in 3:00.70.
The top male diver for Princeton was junior Nathan Makarewicz, who took sixth in the 3-meter competition (265.55) and seventh in the 1-meter (266.90).