Gill wins NCAA championship in 100-yard backstroke

Sam Gill '14
Sam Gill '14

Senior swimmer Sam Gill is an NCAA champion.

Gill finished in a first-place tie in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division III championship meet March 21. Gill and senior Ross Spock of Emory University posted a time of 47.62 seconds, finishing just .06 seconds off of the NCAA record. The two senior standouts are honored as NCAA co-champions.

"Sam has done a great job in rising to the occasion throughout his entire Connecticut College career. Tonight he stepped up on the biggest stage. His accomplishments are a great example of what type of success you can have in our program," said head coach Marc Benvenuti.

This is the fifth individual NCAA championship for Connecticut College. Previous titles were won by swimmer Kate Kovenock '05 in the 50-yard freestyle in 2004, triple jumper Alex Samma '10 at the indoor track and field championships in 2009, and runner Michael LeDuc '14 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2013 and in cross country at the 2013 championship in November.

In addition to his win in the 100-yard backstroke, Gill finished second in the 100-yard butterfly.

Eleven members of the men’s and women’s swimming teams competed in the championship meet, which was held last week at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. The men placed 12th overall with a score of 117.5 points, while the women scored 56 points en route to a 16th place finish. Senior Julia Pielock led the women with a sixth place finish in the 100-yard freestyle. 



March 24, 2014