The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CONFERENCE championships continued in the NCAA Division I swimming and sophomore Izaak Bastian highlighted his season with a series of impressive performances for the Florida State Seminoles.

At ACC Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bastian highlighted his weekend with a pair of medals, including a bronze medal in the 100 breast.

Swimming out of lane eight, Bastian reached the medal podium in a personal best time of 52.36 seconds. He now stands at second all time in Seminoles history, several tenths off the record of 52.11 set in 2015.

It was the first individual ACC Championship medal of Bastian’s two-year collegiate career.

Bastian also swam the 50 free and finished 25th overall in 20.02. He was also 14th overall in the 200 breast in 1:57.42.

He was also a member of the silver medal winning 200 medley team that finished in an NCAA provisional time of 1:24.51. Bastian split 22.93 on his leg of the relay.

FSU originally took third, however a disqualification of the Louisville Cardinals team awarded the Seminoles the silver.

The No.13 ranked Seminoles finished the meet in fifth place with a total of 812.50 points.

“We had a great finish to a great week of racing,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “We’re really excited that we have all five relays heading to NCAAs along with some good individuals.”

Bastian continued his stellar sophomore season after a summer where he led Team Bahamas’ performance at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.

He opened the year first in the 100 breast (55.04) and 200 breast (2:00.20) at No. 12 Notre Dame.

At the Georgia Tech invite, he was fourth in the 100 breast (53.51) third in the 200 breast (1:56.23).

He also helped the Noles finish second in both the 200 and 400 medley relays. He also finished 21st in the 50 free with a personal best swim of 19.93.

He won the 100 breast (55.64) and 200 breast (2:00.52) in a conference matchup against the Duke Blue Devils.

He also placed second in the 200 IM (1:59.11) fourth in the 100 IM (52.86) and fifth in the 100 free (47.72) against Florida Southern.

He placed fourth in the 200 breast (2:05.38) and third in the 100 breast (55.52) at the No. 9 Florida Gators.

He also finished second in the 200 breast (2:03.15) after winning the 100 breast (55.49) at RV Georgia Tech.

As a freshman last season, Bastian was a part of the 200 medley relay team that captured All-America honours at the NCAA Championships behind a seventh place finish.

Bastian also competed in the 400 medley relay at NCAAs and won bronze at the ACC Championships in the 200 medley relay in school record-timing of 1:23.63.