AURORA | Nearly two months after the boys swimming season ended, the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association recognized two swims by athletes from Class 5A state champion Regis Jesuit as official national Independent high school records.
Raiders coach Mike Doherty passed along the information from NISCA, which dubbed two swims from the Raiders on May 18 as new all-time standards in its independent category.
Graduated Clark Smith — a University of Texas signee — set an individual mark in the 100 yard butterfly when he clocked a time of 46.54 seconds, which netted him a fourth straight state championship in the event.
Later on the same day, Smith teamed with fellow graduates Erik Biernat (a Xavier signee) and Seton Hall-bound Zach Suter plus junior Hennessey Stuart on a 400 yard freestyle relay team that turned in a time of 3 minutes, 0.97 seconds.
The Regis Jesuit swimmers set the new marks in a different pool, as the 5A meet shifted to the El Pomar Natatorium on the campus of Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. The meet traditionally has been held at the Edora Pool & Ice Center in Fort Collins.
The Raiders’ marks stand in the category for independent and private schools, while NISCA also keeps national high school records for public schools as well.
Smith’s time is faster than the public record of 47.08 set by Sean Fletcher of James Madison High School in Virginia in 2009, but the 400 freestyle relay of Illinois’ New Trier High School clocked a 2:59.76 in 2012.
Earlier, NISCA had recognized two Regis Jesuit divers — state champion Kyle Goodwin and runner-up Matt Mauser — as All-Americans.
On the girls side, 2013 Regis Jesuit graduate Missy Franklin owns three NISCA national records in the independent category: 1:43.15 in the 200 yard freestyle in 2012, 52.30 in the 100 backstroke in 2011 and 48.39 in the 100 freestyle in 2010.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
