What If? Denver Men Qualify Record Number in Shortened Season

3/30/2020 10:39:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving

The Denver men qualified three individuals and four relays for the 2020 NCAA Championships before they were cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic

By: Niko Blankenship

DENVER – There aren't many people, if any, that disagree that calling off the 2020 NCAA Winter and Spring Championships was the only decision that could be made as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to grow across the United States and the World, but that decision on March 12 left the University of Denver men's swimming and diving program wondering what it could have achieved at the national meet after qualifying a record number of relays in 2020.

"The men started out with some strong goals in mind both academically and athletically," head coach Alicia Hicken-Franklin said. "We built our season on those goals from the beginning. The men were eager to improve and did so in the pool and classroom. We had some great performances from our relays at our mid-season meet at Princeton and the men really came together as a complete team at the Summit League Championships. Shout out to our men's captains, Graham, Hugo, Craig and Cam, who did an incredible job working with the staff and the team this year.

"It was tough to have the men's season end before it was over," Hicken-Franklin said. "Especially since we had some very high goals for NCAA Championships led by a couple of senior men. We have some work left undone and I look forward to seeing it through next year."

Denver's 2020 NCAA Entry List
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Event 2 – Men's 200 Free Relay – Denver – 15^th – 1:17.09
Event 5 – Men's 50 Free – Cameron Auchinachie – 11^th – 19.13
Event 5 – Men's 50 Free – Sid Farber – 12^th – 19.17
Event 7 – 400 Medley Relay – Denver – 24^th – 3:07.53
Friday, March 27, 2020
Event 9 – Men's 100 Fly – Sid Farber – 53^rd – 47.13
Event 11 – Men's 100 Breast – Adriel Sanes – 24^th – 52.32
Event 12 – Men's 100 Back – Cameron Auchinachie – 30^th – 46.23
Event 14 – 200 Medley Relay – Denver – 14^th – 1:24.63
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Event 17 – Men's 100 Free – Cameron Auchinachie – 25^th – 42.54
Event 17 – Men's 100 Free – Sid Farber – 35^th – 42.72
Event 18 – Men's 200 Breast – Adriel Sanes – 44^th – 1:55.70
Event 21 – Men's 400 Free Relay – Denver – 19^th – 2:51.99

Based on the 2019-20 entry list times, Denver would have scored 21 points at the 2020 NCAA Championships, including relay scoring in the 200 free and 200 medley. A total of 21 points at the 2019 NCAA Men's Championships would have been good for a tie for 27^th in the country last year.

In the events that did take place in 2019-20, Denver capped off its season by cruising to its seventh-straight Summit League Swimming and Diving Championship, highlighted by 18 wins out of 21 events. Following the championship, Hicken-Franklin was named the Swimming Coach of the Year, Adriel Sanes was named the Championship MVP and Riley Babson was named the Newcomer of the Championship.

In total, 17 men's swimmers and divers earned spots on the All-League Team.

Cameron Auchinachie, Jr. – 200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay, 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay
Riley Babson, Fr. - 500 Freestyle, 400 IM, 1650 Freestyle
Sid Farber, Jr. – 200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay, 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay
Harrison Fudge, So. - 200 Breaststroke
Colin Gilbert, Sr. - 800 Freestyle Relay, 500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle
Jason Gleason, Fr. – 3-Meter Dive, 1-Meter Dive
Patrick Groters, So. - 200 IM, 100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke
Jesse Haraden, Sr. - 500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle
Cy Jager, Jr. – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 100 Butterfly, 400 Medley Relay, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke
Blayze Jessen, So. - 400 IM
Alex Morgan, Sr. – 3-Meter Dive
Anthony Nosack, Jr. - 100 Breaststroke
Trent Panzera, Jr. - 400 IM, 200 Butterfly
Adriel Sanes, So. – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 200 IM, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke, 400 Freestyle Relay
Hugo Sykes, Sr. - 800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay
Neil Wachtler, Sr. - 400 Medley Relay, 100 Backstroke, 200 Backstroke
Graham Walker, Sr. - 100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly

Denver also got the job done in the classroom, finishing 20^th in the country in grade point average (3.42) and Cy Jager, Anthony Nosack, Trent Panzera and Nathan Rock earned Academic All-League honors.

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