Brus Sets NCAA D-III Record

On Feb. 17, Grinnell Pioneer Michael Brus ’14 swam his way into the national record book, setting an NCAA Division III record in the 200-yard backstroke with a clocking time of 1:45.94.  Brus was competing at the 2013 Midwest Conference (MWC) Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted by Grinnell.  The mark is pending certification.

Brus is no stranger to awards. He has been named the MWC Men's Swimmer of the Year three times, earned multiple All-America honors the past two seasons, and was a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200-meter backstroke.  Going into the conference, he already held the MWC D-III records in six individual events and three relays.  At this year’s MWC championship, Brus won seven events and helped the Pioneers earn their 12th team title in a row. He also set meet and school records in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, 200 and 500 freestyles, and as part of the 200, 400 and 800 medley relays and 400 free relay.

Brus will be competing in the NCAA D-III Championship on March 20-23 in Shenandoah, Texas. He currently has the fastest NCAA D-III times in both backstrokes.