March 26, 2005

MINNEAPOLIS -- Northwestern, refusing to fall into the same trap as last year, qualified for the finals in three events on the last day of the NCAA Championships Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Mike Alexandrov (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) led the way for the 'Cats as he qualified second for this evening's 200 breaststroke final with a time of 1:55.86. Alexandrov's swim shattered his own career-best and school-record time of 1:57.06.

Tonight's final heat will be Alexandrov's second as an individual. Alexandrov finished third in the 100 breast last evening with another career-best and school-record time.

"Michael looked extremely strong this morning," Northwestern Head Coach Bob Groseth said. "Tonight's field in the 200 breast will be the strongest in history and I expect Mike to be right there."

Fellow sophomore Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) continued his excellent championship run as well by qualifying for this evening's 100 freestyle final. Grevers finished in eighth place this afternoon with a time of 42.75.

The 100 freestyle final will be Grevers' third as an invididual in these championships and will run his two-year total to four.

"Tonight's 100 freestyle will also be an interesting race," Groseth said. "Matt will be in an outside lane but only .3 seconds separates the top eight so anything can happen."

The Wildcats' final event for tonight's finals and the final event of the Championships will be the 400 freestyle relay. The 'Cats quartet of Alexandrov, Grevers, Kyle Bubolz (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha North), and David Kormushoff (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) qualified sixth in this afternoon's prelims with a time of 2:53.42.

"Our main goal for this evening's relay is to set a school record," Groseth said.

Bubolz also swam in this afternoon's 100 freestyle, but was unable to qualify for the finals and placed 25th with a time of 44.04.

Junior Brian Davis (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah) will look to start the night right for the Wildcats when he swims the 1650 freestyle right before the last day's finals begin. There are no preliminary heats for the 1650 freestyle.

The 'Cats will look to fend off the competition and hold onto their eighth-place standing when the finals start at 7 p.m. Grevers will be up first in the 100 freestyle, followed by Alexandrov in the 200 breast, and the 400 freestyle relay will conclude the Championships for Northwestern.

For results and complete Championships coverage, visit the Division I NCAA Championships Web site.