Bates College

Bates men's swimming senior captain Marrich Somridhivej is the NCAA Division III champion in the 100-yard breaststroke after he broke his own NESCAC record in the event Friday night at the IU Natatorium. 

Somridhivej raced to the finish in the championship final in 51.82 seconds, the second-fastest time in NCAA Division III history. He's the second individual NCAA champion in Bates swimming and diving history.

It was the second NCAA championship of the meet for Somridhivej, who swam the breaststroke leg for the national-record breaking 400-yard medley relay on Wednesday. He joins track and field throwers Jaime Sawler '02 and Liz Wanless '04 as the only Bates athletes, in any sport, to win multiple national titles in the same year.

Bates men's swimming made a splash by finishing in sixth place out of 46 scoring teams, the best performance at the national level in program history. 

Somridhivej finishes his Bates career as a two-time national champion and a 10-time All-American.