OCALA, Fla.- Junior
Mitchell Hopper broke the Pacific men's swimming record in the 100 IM twice in one day as the Tigers scored 219 points en route to a 13th place finish at the National Invitational Championship meet.
Backed behind ten top-16 finishes over the three day meet, the Tigers finished two points shy of 12th to shatter their placement from a season ago. The men finished in 24th place a year prior behind 134.5 points scored over three days.
Junior
Mitchell Hopper cruised to the ninth fastest time of the 100 IM prelim, setting a new school record with a 49.46. Fellow junior
Leland Baltazar raced alongside, clocking a 50.58, while senior
Aidan Vollmar finished with a 51.11.
Senior
Alex Kurotori dropped nearly a full second off his entry time, racing to a 1:49.02 in the 200 back prelim. Baltazar followed up his 100 IM with a 1:53.68 in the 200 back.
Hopper clocked the sixth fastest time in Saturday morning's 100 free prelim, finishing with a 44.12. Senior
Dylan Parente claimed the 16th fastest time in the same event with a 44.49.
Sophomore
Ethan Cole took to the pool for the 200 breast prelim, clocking a 2:01.83, while senior
Aidan Scott raced a 1:52.05 in the 200 fly prelim.
Hopper kicked off Saturday's finals for Pacific, finishing sixth overall with a 48.60 to shatter his school record by nearly a full second.
"I've had my eye on that record for a while," Hopper shared after the race. "I was so happy to finally get it!" The junior followed up the performance with an eighth place finish in the 100 free clocking a 44.10. Parente tied-19th with a 44.76.
Pacific wrapped the weekend with the 400 free relay. The Tigers, behind Vollmar, Scott, Kurotori and Parente, took 12th overall in the event with a 2:59.46.
The Tigers field five swimmers for the long course time trials held on Sunday, March 16.
For all the latest on Pacific Swimming, be sure to follow the team on X (
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