VIDEO: Sikatzki Swims the 100 Fly Finals in Lane 1
ATLANTA, Georgia – Philipp Sikatzki etched his name in the Cleveland State record book Friday evening, earning All-America status after finishing fourth in the 100 Butterfly at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Sikatzki posted a time of a 45.37 in the event finals – marking a Cleveland State and Horizon League record.
Sikatzki, a junior from Leipzig, Germany, is the first Viking swimmer to earn All-America honors, since Jakub Dobies (Honorable Mention All-America 2009). Sikatzki was also the first Viking since Dobies to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
In the prelims of the 100 Butterfly, Sikatzki posted a Cleveland State record 45.65, finishing seventh in the field of 47 to earn a spot in the event finals. Sikatzki entered the NCAA Championships with the 11th fastest seed time – a time of 45.90, which he recorded at the Horizon League Championship earlier this season.
In the 100 fly finals, Sikatzki was swimming alongside competitors from six Power Five conference schools, and finished ahead of swimmers from Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, and Georgia. Swimming in Lane 1, Sikatzki got out to a quick start and kept pace with the field throughout the race, bettering his prelim time by 0.28 seconds to finish fourth nationally in a time of 45.37.
Sikatzki's finals time marked a Cleveland State and Horizon League record.
Sikatzki also competed in the 100 Backstroke Friday, finishing second in his prelim heat with a time of 46.78. Sikatzki finished 26th overall in the 100 back, just 0.68 seconds shy of qualifying for the event finals.
On Saturday, Sikatzki also swam in the 100 Freestyle prelims, finishing 25th in a time of 43.24 - just 0.02 seconds shy of his own Cleveland State record.
100 Butterfly Prelims
7. Philipp Sikatzki, 45.65
100 Butterfly Finals
4. Philipp Sikatzki, 45.37
100 Backstroke Prelims
26. Philipp Sikatzki, 46.78
100 Freestyle Prelims
25. Philipp Sikatzki, 43.24
