3 Swimmers Likely Book Spots at NCAAs with Best Times at Boiler-Make-It Qualification

2023 Boiler Make It Qualification

• 4th-5th March 2023
• West Lafayette, Indiana
• Participating Teams: Purdue, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri
• SCY (25 meters)
• Results

Three swimmers set major life bests at the Boiler Make It qualifier in West Lafayette, Indiana, and will likely book their spots at the 2023 NCAA Championships later this month in Minneapolis.

Purdue sophomore Brady Samuels has a 41.99 in the 100 Free to Rang No. 21 clocked in the NCAA. About 28 to 32 swimmers typically receive invitations to men’s events at the NCAAs. Samuels became only the second all-time Boilermaker to go under 42 seconds in the event that followed Nikola Azin‘s program record 41.81 from the 2021 NCAAs. Last year, as a freshman with the NCAAs, Samuels posted a personal best of 42.19.

Missouri senior Will Goodwin is down almost a second after 1:52.29 in the 200 breaststroke, which ranks 20th in the NCAA this season. Last month he ran 1:54.75 at the SECs, then 1:53.01 from last month’s Mizzou qualifier before setting a new lifetime best last weekend.

Freshman from Michigan Eitan Ben Shitrit swam a new best time in the 200 IM of 1:42.90, improving on his previous best time of 1:43.06 in the heats. He is now ranked 25th in the NCAA this season. Before last weekend, his lifetime best was a 1:43.31 from the Big Tens last month.

Indiana Luke Barr lowered his 100 breast personal best during heats to 52.68, his first lifetime best at the event since 2020, but he still ranks outside the event’s top 50 this season.

Purdue freshmen Raymond Whittaker And Andy Kelly also set Boilermaker program records in the 50 breast (25.23) and 50 fly (22.40), respectively.

Other Event Winners

• Michigan’s Eduardo Moraes ran 4:17.91 in the 500 free heats, slightly off his season best of 4:17.38.
• Purdues Conner McCarthy was the only swimmer in the final with a 20.59, but was teammate Andy Kelly went even faster in the heats with 20.54.
• Purdues Griffin Seever hit the wall first in the 100 Fly with a time of 48.49, almost a second under his previous best from November.
• Michigan’s Juan Ceresa won the 200 free in 1:38.08, but he was even quicker in the heats with a 1:37.03, which put him in second place behind Purdue Ethan Shaw (1:36.64) who did not swim the final.
• Without Barr in 100 breasts final, Purdues Coleman Modglin (53.57) surpassed Michigan’s Jack McCurdy (53.74) by just 0.17 seconds in first place.
• Missouri Eric Storms couldn’t lower his entry time from 45.94, but he still got the 100 back in 46.15.