Junior Matt Oglesby was the lone representative for the Blugold men’s swimming and diving team at the NCAA Div. III Nationals, March 15 to 17, in Buffalo, N.Y.
Oglesby participated in three events at the meet, the 200-yard butterfly, 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke.
“He came into the season focused on nationals and helping his team,” coach Rob Welcher said.
Welcher said Oglesby has worked hard throughout the season and improved his technique.
“He earned his first `A’ qualifying times, which was a first,” Welcher said.
The 100-yard butterfly proved to be Oglesby’s strongest event. He finished third in the event with a time of 49.88 seconds. This time also broke the old UW-Eau Claire record time of 50.11, which was set by Oglesby at the WIAC Championship Meet late this season. That time also set a conference record.
Welcher said third place is the highest the team has ever had a swimmer finish at nationals.
“I was really pleased with his overall performance,” Welcher said.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Oglesby took seventh place with a time of 51.26 seconds.
The winner of the event finished with a time of 48.61 seconds, which was more than one second over the second place finisher, who finished with a time of 49.85 seconds.
Oglesby also holds the school record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 50.94, which was set at the WIAC Championship Meet.
With top finishes in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke, Oglesby was given All-American honors in these events.
Oglesby finished his national campaign in the 200-yard butterfly in which he broke his own school record twice. The old record was 1:53.91. Oglesby broke the record in the preliminaries with a time of 1:53.68.
He again established a new record in the 200 butterfly in the finals with a time of 1:52.93, which was good enough to give him a 10th-place finish.
Welcher said Oglesby had three personal bests at nationals and his best time outside of a relay in the backstroke race.
With the point totals added from his third-, seventh- and 10th-place finishes, Oglesby earned 35 points for the Blugolds and finished in 26th place.
Kenyon College (Ohio) won the meet for the 22nd consecutive year with 669 points. Its closest competitor, Emory University (Ga.), had 289.5 points.