National award comes to Sampson, RVHS grad/swimmer

Staff reports
Posted 3/15/23

RICHMOND, Va.— Colorado Mesa University's Ben Sampson is this year’s College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association NCAA Division II Men's Swimmer of the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Username
Password
Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.

If you made a voluntary contribution in 2022-2023 of $50 or more, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one at no additional charge. VIP Digital Access includes access to all websites and online content.


Our print publications are advertiser supported. For those wishing to access our content online, we have implemented a small charge so we may continue to provide our valued readers and community with unique, high quality local content. Thank you for supporting your local newspaper.

National award comes to Sampson, RVHS grad/swimmer

Posted

RICHMOND, Va.— Colorado Mesa University's Ben Sampson is this year’s College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association NCAA Division II Men's Swimmer of the Year.

Sampson, a redshirt sophomore who graduated from Ralston Valley High School, was one of 21 Mavericks’ swimmers (12 women, nine men) who earned at least one, first-team all-American honor, according to a statement from CMU. Sampson is the first Mavericks swimmer to receive the honor.

Sampson led the way for the Mavericks, winning the national title in both the 200-yard individual medley and 200 backstroke.  He is the first male swimmer in CMU history to win a title after Lily Borgenheimer became the first women's swimmer to do so last year in the 200 breast stroke.
He had also set the NCAA Division II record of 1:40.73 (1:39.53-altitude adjusted) in November during the TYR/CMU Invitational.

Swimming and head diving coaches from around the nation voted on the CSCAA’s major awards. First-team, all-American status goes to the top eight finishers in each event. Second-team picks go to the ninth- through 16th-place finishers.

Sampson was also an all-American in all seven of his events, picking up six, first-team honors after finishing third in the 400- individual medley, fourth in the 100- back, fifth in the 800- freestyle relay and eighth in the 200- medley relay.  He also helped the Mavs to a ninth-place finish in the 400- medley relay and is now a 14-time all-American over the last two seasons. That total is the second highest in program history behind only Mahmoud Elgayar, who received two more all-America honors to complete his brilliant career with 15 total honors.  He received at least one in each of his five seasons.

Six other swimmers – five men, one woman .. earned second-team all-Americans. MSU put together 24, top-eight finishes in the two-day national meet.

The CMU men placed a program-best fifth at the national meet.

Colorado Mesa University, NCAA Division II swimming, Ben Sampson, all-American swimmer

Comments

Our Papers

Ad blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an ad blocking plugin in your browser.

The revenue we receive from our advertisers helps make this site possible. We request you whitelist our site.