Completed Event: Men's Swimming and Diving versus Arizona Christian on December 13, 2025 ,
M Swimming
vs Arizona Christian
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Deb Schaffer
Nikolaev qualifies for NCAA final
3/29/2019 9:26:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
GCU senior to race with 7 others for 100 backstroke national title
AUSTIN, Texas — Grand Canyon senior swimmer Mark Nikolaev will race for the 100-yard backstroke national championship Friday night in Texas after qualifying for the final during NCAA Championships preliminaries earlier Friday.
Nikolaev posted the fifth-fastest preliminary time (44.91 seconds) among the 43 NCAA Championships qualifiers in the 100 backstroke. That put him among eight swimmers who will compete in the final, which is slated for 4 p.m. Phoenix time. The race will be shown on an ESPN live stream. No matter his finish in the final, Nikolaev is assured of All-America distinction.
Nikolaev was seeded second in the event by time, based on a swim of 44.61 that he posted in November at the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa. This is Nikolaev's first appearance in the NCAA final after finishing 10th in the event at last year's NCAA meet.
The rest of the 100 backstroke field for the NCAA final features North Carolina State junior Coleman Stewart, Harvard junior Dean Farris, Texas senior John Shebat, California sophomore Daniel Carr, Louisville sophomore Nicolas Albiero, Texas junior Ryan Harty and Georgia junior Javier Acevedo. Stewart (44.06) and Farris (44.14) each swam times faster than the 2012 pool record (44.55) set by Matt Grevers.
Nikolaev posted the fifth-fastest preliminary time (44.91 seconds) among the 43 NCAA Championships qualifiers in the 100 backstroke. That put him among eight swimmers who will compete in the final, which is slated for 4 p.m. Phoenix time. The race will be shown on an ESPN live stream. No matter his finish in the final, Nikolaev is assured of All-America distinction.
Nikolaev was seeded second in the event by time, based on a swim of 44.61 that he posted in November at the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa. This is Nikolaev's first appearance in the NCAA final after finishing 10th in the event at last year's NCAA meet.
The rest of the 100 backstroke field for the NCAA final features North Carolina State junior Coleman Stewart, Harvard junior Dean Farris, Texas senior John Shebat, California sophomore Daniel Carr, Louisville sophomore Nicolas Albiero, Texas junior Ryan Harty and Georgia junior Javier Acevedo. Stewart (44.06) and Farris (44.14) each swam times faster than the 2012 pool record (44.55) set by Matt Grevers.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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