ATHENS, Ga. — Sophomore and two-time All-American Evan Martinec broke the school record in the 100-yard backstroke on Friday at the 2002 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Gabrielsen Natatorium at Athens, Ga.
Senior All-American Steve Gluck joined Martinec to represent LSU at the championships. Gluck swam in the 100-yard breaststroke on Friday.
The Tacoma, Wash., native swam the event in a time of 47.82 to finish eighth in the finals of the event on Friday evening. Martinec finished the event in a time of 47.31 in the preliminaries on Friday morning. He held the previous school record with a time of 47.91 set at last season’s NCAA Championships. Martinec was honored as an All-American for the third time in his career after the event. Martinec was an All-American in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley last season.
Martinec was the highest finisher from the Southeastern Conference in the event. Auburn and Florida combined to placed five swimmers in the consolation final Stanford’s Peter Marshall won the event with a time of 45.91.
“My goal was to finish in the top eight and that is what I did,” said Martinec. “I have worked very hard this season so I am very satisfied with the time and the finish.”
Gluck, an All-American in the 200-yard medley relay in 2001, finished 17th in the preliminaries of the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 54.61, just missing the cut for consolation final. The top eight go to the final and the 9-16 go to the consolation final. Texas sophomore Brendan Handen won the event with a time of 52.47.