Senior Chris Pearson won two national championships to lead the Carnegie Mellon men's swimming team to a 6th place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships at Hope College in Holland, Mich., this spring.
Pearson captured the national crown in the 200-yard butterfly (1:49.56) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:38.67), giving him three NCAA titles in the last two years. He won the 200-yard freestyle in 2004.
Pearson was one of six Tartans to earn All-America honors at the meet by reaching the finals in six events.
The Tartans' 400 freestyle relay team of Pearson, Dave Krzeminski, Mike Bailey and Evan Powell placed second with a time of 3:03.14, and the 800 freestyle relay team of Kevin Paavola, Brian Hunter, Bailey and Pearson finished fourth in 6:49.34. Krzeminski placed fourth in the 200 butterfly, and Hunter placed eighth in the 200 breaststroke.
Counting Pearson's two national titles this year, Carnegie Mellon Head Coach David Belowich has now coached five national champions in the past four years. Brian McCarthy won the 400-yard individual medley championship in 2004 and the 200-yard individual medley title in 2002.
The Carnegie Mellon men have finished in the top eight in Division III for five consecutive years. The Tartans finished 8th in 2001, 4th in 2002 and 2003, 3rd in 2004 and 6th this year.
"Being ranked in the top eight year after year means that Carnegie Mellon University has established itself as one of the top swimming programs in the country," Belowich said. "I'm very proud of the swimming program, but most important I am proud of all the guys that have made Carnegie Mellon swimming what it is today."
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