Powell to race in NCAA championships

Turns out Cornell isn’t the only Ivy that can make it in the big leagues.

Today marks the first day of the NCAA Championships for men’s swimming and Columbia’s very own Adam Powell will be in attendance.

Two weeks ago at the Ivy League Championships, Powell stood atop the podium and was recognized as league champion in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events. More than the fastest in the league, Powell’s time of 19.72 made the B-cut for this weekend’s competition, set a new school record, and currently places him at 18th in the nation.

Topping the psych sheet for the 50m free is Josh Schneider from Cincinnati. And although Powell has the fastest seed time of swimmers from the Ancient Eight, close behind is familiar face Geoffrey Faux from Princeton with a time just one-hundredth of a second off of Powell’s.

The competition is certainly going to be fierce, but Powell has three years of collegiate swimming experience under his belt. Ever improving, the junior set the school record in the 50m freestyle last year at 19.84 only to outdo himself upon returning to the pool this season.

Can he do it again? We’ll find out soon enough. The 50m freestyle is slated to be the fourth event at the championships, which begin today Mar. 25 in Columbus, Ohio at noon and continue until Mar. 27.