Wittenberg Standout Taylor Smith Competes In NCAA National Championship Meet
Wittenberg University men's swimming and diving standout Taylor Smith, class of 2010 from Mansfield, Ohio, has completed his season after competing in the 2008 NCAA Division III National Championship meet.
|
OXFORD, Ohio - Wittenberg University men's swimming and diving standout Taylor Smith, class of 2010 from Mansfield, Ohio, has completed his season after competing in the 2008 NCAA Division III National Championship meet. The event, hosted by the College of Wooster at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, was March 20-22.
Smith emerged as a contender for the national meet with a breakout performance at the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships Feb. 14-16 at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio. Smith placed fifth in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 52.01, which bettered the NCAA Division III B Cut qualifying standard. He lowered that time later in the meet as he led off the Tigers' 400-yard medley relay with a time of 51.98. The relay placed fourth in the competition. Smith wrapped up his tremendous conference meet with an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:59.26.
At the national meet, Smith did not qualify for the any finals, but did post a strong showing nonetheless. On the first day Smith finished 44th in the 50-yard freestyle. On the second day he posted his best finish of the weekend with a place of 23rd in the 100-yard backstroke, and on the third day wrapped up with a 30th-place mark in the 200-yard backstroke.