Colorado Mesa University swimmer Ben Sampson has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200-meter individual medley, adding to his previous cut in the 200-meter backstroke. Sampson clocked a time of 2:02.46 in the event at the TYR Colorado Mesa University Invite, held from November 16 to 19, 2022.
Sampson Breaks Pool and Meet Records in 200 IM
Sampson, a redshirt sophomore, dominated the 200 IM final on the second day of the meet, breaking both the pool and meet records with his impressive performance. He was the only swimmer to break the 2:05 barrier, finishing more than five seconds ahead of his teammate Andrew Scoggin, who placed second in 2:07.67. Sampson’s time was also faster than the NCAA Division II automatic qualifying standard of 2:03.00.
Sampson’s splits were as follows:
- 50-meter butterfly: 25.87
- 50-meter backstroke: 29.88
- 50-meter breaststroke: 34.74
- 50-meter freestyle: 31.97
Sampson said he was happy with his swim and his second Olympic Trials cut. “It feels amazing to get another cut. I’ve been working hard for this and I’m glad it paid off. I’m really excited to race at Trials and see what I can do,” he said.
Sampson Also Shines in 200 Backstroke
Sampson’s 200 IM was not his only highlight of the meet. On the final day, he also won the 200-meter backstroke in a stunning time of 1:40.73, which was also a new pool and meet record. He lowered his own records by more than three seconds, and his time was also faster than the NCAA Division II record of 1:41.08, set by Marco Palacios in 2016.
Sampson’s time was also faster than the U.S. Olympic Trials cut of 1:59.63, which he had already achieved at the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships, where he won the event in 1:41.53. Sampson’s 200 backstroke time converts to 1:39.53, which would have placed him eighth at the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships.
Sampson’s splits in the 200 backstroke were as follows:
- 50-meter backstroke: 24.02
- 100-meter backstroke: 49.39 (25.37)
- 150-meter backstroke: 1:15.19 (25.80)
- 200-meter backstroke: 1:40.73 (25.54)
Sampson said he was surprised by his 200 backstroke time and credited his coaches and teammates for his improvement. “I didn’t expect to go that fast. I just wanted to have fun and race hard. I’m very grateful for my coaches and my teammates who have supported me and pushed me to be better. They are the reason why I’m swimming so well,” he said.
Sampson Leads Colorado Mesa to Best Team Finish
Sampson’s individual victories helped Colorado Mesa to achieve its best team finish at the TYR Colorado Mesa University Invite. The Mavericks placed second in the men’s team standings with 1,256 points, behind only Colorado School of Mines, who won with 1,378 points. Colorado Mesa also had several other individual and relay winners, including:
- Andrew Scoggin, who won the 100-meter backstroke in 53.83 and the 400-meter individual medley in 4:23.96
- Jeremy Kock, who won the 100-meter breaststroke in 58.30 and the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:07.66
- Jackson Moe, who won the 100-meter butterfly in 51.10
- The men’s 200-meter medley relay team of Scoggin, Kock, Moe, and Sampson, who won in 1:30.86
- The men’s 400-meter medley relay team of Scoggin, Kock, Moe, and Sampson, who won in 3:17.18
Colorado Mesa head coach Geoff Hanson praised Sampson and the rest of the team for their performances. “I’m very proud of Ben and all of our swimmers. They have worked hard and showed great results. Ben is a phenomenal swimmer and a great leader for our team. He has a bright future ahead of him and I’m excited to see him compete at the Olympic Trials,” he said.
Sampson Looks Forward to Olympic Trials
Sampson will compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held from June 18 to 25, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska. He will swim in the 200-meter backstroke and the 200-meter individual medley, hoping to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team that will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Sampson said he is looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to represent his country. “It’s a dream come true to swim at the Olympic Trials. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid. I’m going to give it my best and enjoy the experience. It would be an honor to make the Olympic Team and wear the stars and stripes,” he said.
