Aug. 11, 2009
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- A pair of Northwestern swimmers were involved in the biggest story of the 2009 U.S. Open Championships held Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 4-8 in Federal Way, Wash., when they were among a group of eight swimmers who shunned the soon-to-be-banned high-tech suits in favor of old-school briefs for Saturday's `A' final of the 200 IM.
Junior Alex Tyler (Birmingham, Mich./Birmingham Groves) and 2007 graduate Mike Alexandrov qualified for the championship final in the 200 IM the same way the other competitors did -- wearing high-tech suits that FINA, the sport's governing body, has outlawed beginning in 2010. When the field for the `A' final then walked out for the race in much slower briefs, "the crowd blew the top off the natatorium in appreciation for the move," according to Swimming World Magazine.
Tyler won the bronze medal in the 200 IM while Alexandrov was sixth. Demonstrating the speed of the "super suits," the event's champion, Jack Brown, was slower than the winner of the `B' final, in which the competitors did indeed wear the high-tech suits. In total during the meet, one U.S. Open, three world and 13 meet records were broken in the suits.
Northwestern swimmers on the whole performed very well at the U.S. Open. Swimming under the Wildcat Aquatic club banner, three current members of the men's team were part of the second-place 4x100 meter freestyle relay. Tyler, Sean Mathews (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette) and Brian Kerr (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) all swam with that squad.
All told, NU swimmers helped Wildcat Aquatic take eighth in the team points out of 78 squads represented at the meet. The women's team took 13th place, good for a combined ninth-place effort for the Wildcat Aquatic club.
For more on the 200 IM finalists and for complete U.S. Open results, link to USAswimming.org and Swimming World Magazine.