Expectations are met by No. 2 Stanford Expectations are met by No. 2 Stanford (March 28, 2001)

Cardinal finish second as Messner, Robinson win national titles and underclassmen set tone for future

Despite a handful of setbacks, the Stanford men's swimming team completed the season as the nation's second best, accumulating 457 1/2 points to finish behind Texas (597 1/2) at the NCAA Championships that concluded Saturday in College Station, Tex.

Stanford, which came into the meet ranked second in the country behind the Longhorns, was hurt by the lack of divers and a disqualification in the prelims of the 200 medley realy.

Aside from that, the Cardinal did just about what head coach Skip Kenney expected--and maybe more.

Seniors Adam Messner and Anthony Robinson finished their collegiate careers in fine fashion, each capturing an individual title. Stanford's 200 free relay team, which includes Robinson, also captured an NCAA title.

Messner successfully defended his title in the 200 fly, swimming a career-best 1:43.12 that still leaves him second all-time to Pablo Morales' 1:42.60 in the Stanford history books.

Also in the 200 fly, senior Steven Brown finished fourth in a season-best 1:44.19.

Robinson won the 50 free in a school-record 19:15, defeating defending champion and 2000 Olympian Anthony Ervin of Cal. Robinson broke Brian Retterer's record of 19:34, set in 1994. Prior to NCAAs, Robinson held the third-fastest time in the nation and he swam a season-best time of 19:48 at the Pac-10 championships to finish second.

Robinson also set a school record in the 100 breast in 52.76, placing third. He broke his own mark of 52.87 set in the prelims. That made him the first Stanford swimmer to break 53 seconds.

Stanford's team of Randal Bal, Robinson, Jeff Guyman and Bobby O'Bryan won the 200 free relay in a season-best 1:16.83, a pool record. The team came into the meet ranked No. 1 in the nation.

While Messner and Robinson bowed out in fine fashion, several underclassmen also swam well for the Cardinal--leaving Stanford's future in good hands.

In the 100 back, the Cardinal had four swimmers (all underclassmen) finish in the top seven led by freshman Peter Marshall's second-place finish. The surprising Marshall clocked a season best 46.23 and now ranks third all-time at Stanford behind Retterer's former American record (45.43) and Jeff Rouse (46.12), who won the 1996 Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter back.

Bal was right behind Marshall in third place and also had a season best of 46.59. Rogan tied for fifth with a time of 46.83, while sophomore Dan Westcott was seventh, recording a 46.84. Westcott's time was more than one second faster than his previous best mark on the year.

The 200 back was another dominating event for Stanford, which placed three among the top eight. Rogan, a member of the 2000 Austrian Olympic team, continued his sensational improvement with a second-place finish of 1:41.64, a personal-best. That ranks him fourth all-time at Stanford. Marshall clocked a personal-best 1:42.38 to grab fourth. Bal took seventh in 1:43.51 after swimming a season best 1:43.12 in the prelims.

Rogan also placed third in the 200 individual medley, breaking the school record of 1:45.16 set in 1997 by Tom Wilkens, a member of the 2000 USA Olympic team.

In the 100 fly, Marshall was fourth with a season-best 46.82. He wound up with 47 points, tying him with Messner for the team lead.

In other events:

O'Bryan finished fourth in the 50 free in 19:52 while Bal was fifth in 19.62. Both swimmers had career bests in the prelims--O'Bryan in 19:43 and Bal in 19:61.

In the 400 medley relay, Stanford placed fourth with a season-best 3:08.66.

In the 800 free relay, the Cardinal's squad of Rogan, Messner, Greg Long and Brown placed fifth. The team clocked in at 6:26.38, more than four seconds faster than its previous-best mark.

Messner finished third in the 200 free, swimming a season-best 1:35.05. He also finished eighth in the 500 free with a time of 4:20.56 after swimming 4:18:59 in the prelims for a new season best.

Brown placed fifth in the 400 individual medley in 3:44.68 and finished with 42 points in the meet to finish 13th overall. That puts him eighth on the school's all-time NCAA point-scorers' list with 157. Messner, with 47 points in his final collegiate meet, finished right behind Brown with 156 career NCAA points.