by Bub Parker
Senior Colin Herlihy capped off a spectacular season by capturing 1st place in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke races at the NCAA Division III championship, hosted by Emory University March 21-23. He became the first Bomber men's tanker to win an individual event in the 22-year history of the NCAA championship.
On March
22 Herlihy set a Division III meet record and an Ithaca program standard
in the 100-yard breaststroke (56.07). His 200-yard breaststroke victory
came in a school-record clocking (2:02.13) the very next evening. He picked
up all-American recognition in both events.
For his stellar efforts Herlihy was tabbed the NCAA Division III swimmer of the meet. His 100-yard breaststroke showing broke the second-oldest record in Division III, a standard (56.12) set by Alfred University's Howard Seidman in 1984.
Herlihy was making his second appearance at the NCAA Division III outing. In 1995 he brought home all-American honors in the same two events.
Senior Todd Poludniak took the 12th spot in the 500-yard freestyle (4:40.88) on Thursday and finished 9th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.46) on Friday to garner honorable-mention all-American laurels in both outings.
Those two honors moved him into a tie for 9th place on Ithaca's all-time all-American list (5). In March 1995 Poludniak placed 3rd in the 200-yard freestyle and was 11th in the 100-yard freestyle to earn national recognition. As a freshman he was 12th in the 100-yard event (honorable-mention all-American).
The senior duo combined to give Ithaca its first top-20 finish at the NCAA Division III championship since a 14th-place result in 1991. This season the Bombers took 18th with 54 points -- an improvement from last winter's 25th-place showing.
Photo by Tim McKinney