HOLLAND, Mich. – Sebastian Tostado made a strong statement to become the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's Most Valuable Swimmer award Friday night, and there's still one day left in the league's championship meet.
Tostado won the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke Friday, giving him three individual titles for the meet after winning the 200 individual medley Thursday. Tostado was a member of the Britons winning 800 freestyle relay on Wednesday. If Tostado is named the most valuable swimmer, he'll follow Brian Fiorillo, who claimed the award for the Britons in 2013 and '14.
Tostado had the third-fastest backstroke time in the preliminaries, but he led the final from start to finish in putting up a school-record and NCAA Division III Championship 'B' cut time of 51.03 seconds.
Tostado was fourth after the first 50 yards of the freestyle final – one of the swimmers he trailed was teammate Derek Bosko – but he completed the second 50 in 25.64 seconds to lead Calvin's Mitch Schroder by three-hundredths of a second. Tostado extended the lead to nearly a second by turning a 25.37 split over the third 50 yards. His final time, 1:40.87, also is a NCAA 'B' qualifying time.
"Sebastian has B cuts and school records in three different disciplines," Albion Head Coach Jake Taber said. "He's a talented young man."
Almost lost in Tostado's success was the performance of first-year student-athlete Parker Belmore. The Steavenson High School product produced 31 points by racing to third in the 100 backstroke (51.64) and fourth in the 100 butterfly (52.02).
"The league will be well aware of Parker after this weekend," Taber said.
Taber boasted about how Garret Bosworth performed in back-to-back events. He finished 11th in the 400 individual medley (4:21.35) and 13th in the 100 butterfly (53.71).
"Garret had a challenging double and he found a way to get night swims in both events," Taber said.
Albion sits in third place in the team standings because it had swimmers in championship and consolation races in every event Friday night.
Blake Blair and Andrew Mattson were sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 400 individual medley. Kyle Harvey (10th) and Lucas Harder (13th) had consolation swims.
Nick Deppner finished eighth in the 100 butterfly, with Nick Burris (12th) in the consolation heat.
Bosko (fourth) and David Alday (ninth) scored in the 200 freestyle.
Landon Lefler, the only senior on the roster, finished sixth in the championship race of the 100 breaststroke. Harder (14th) and Cameron Ragan (16th) advanced to the consolation race.
Charlie Shinske (ninth), Burris (11th) and Nick Smith (15th) swam in the consolation race of the 100 backstroke.
Albion hopes its 17-point lead over Hope College is enough to hold on to third place at the end of the meet. Taber expects the Flying Dutchmen to produce more points than the Britons in the Saturday events. The schedule includes the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 1,650 freestyle, and the 400 freestyle relay.
The team scoring after the Friday events has Calvin in the lead with 613 points. Kalamazoo (476), Albion (441) and Hope (424) are in a tight bunch. Olivet (126) and Alma (96) round out the standings.
"We'll have to swim scared to hold off Hope," Taber said.
