Ungur Sets Program Record on Final Day of Pac-12 Championships

Saturday, March 4

Federal Way, Wash.

All Day

University of Utah

Pac-12 Championships

Photo by: Chuck Arelei

Ungur Sets Program Record on Final Day of Pac-12 Championships

3/5/2023 12:03 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving

Utes post five new top 10 times

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Andrei Ungur set a new program record with a time of 1:41.03 in the 200 backstroke and the University of Utah men's swimming team posted four more new top 10 times on Saturday during the final day of the Pac-12 Men's Swimming Championships at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.

"I'm really proud of the way our men competed this week," said associate coach Jos Smith. "Andrei continued to swim fast and broke the school record in the 200 back. We finished off the meet with a fourth place finish in the 400 free relay. It was great to see our guys compete and excel in the fastest conference in America."

Ungur new school-best adds one more accomplishment to a list of achievements at the conference meet that already includes earning a pair of medals. His record-setting mark was more than a full second ahead of his previous personal-best in the 200 back and shattered the previous Utah standard of 1:41.38, set by Daniel McArthur in 2018. On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Ungur's time placed him 10th.

Two more Utes improved on their top 10 times in the 200 back as well, including Brandon Miller's 1:43.13, that moves him up to fourth-place all-time. Ryan Garstang sliced more than half-a-second off the personal best he set at the Big Al Invitational in December, clocking in at 1:43.95, seventh-best by a Ute in the 200 back. Miller took home 15th in the event while Garstang finished 16th.

Miller recorded one more personal-best before the meet came to an end, touching 15:13.64 in the 1650 freestyle, moving him up to sixth all-time. His time was good enough for 11th in the final results

Marko Kovacic made his mark in the 200 butterfly, where he put together the second-fastest performance in program history, touching in 1:44.56, behind only Ben Scott's 1:43.49 at the 2018 Pac-12 Championships. In the overall meet standings, Kovacic landed in 11th.

The Utes saved another excellent effort for the meet's final race, the 400 free relay. Ungur teamed up with Finn O'Haimhirgin, JP Hynes and Jaek Horner to post a time of 2:52.06 which put them in fourth place. As a team, the Utes finished with 300.5 points, putting them in sixth.

Looking Ahead

On Monday, Utah's divers will get their chance to compete at the NCAA Diving Zone E Meet, which is also being held in Federal Way.

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