INDIANAPOLIS -- 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. 

"Marrich moving from a non-recruited athlete with potential to a national champion is a moment very few get to experience," head coach Peter Casares said. "I feel great gratitude toward both Bates for attracting such a great person and him for this journey. He is a great swimmer, so thoughtful and hard working. But what many don't know who look at times is he's an even better person. He has made this entire program better with his leadership in and out of the water."

Somridhivej (South Windsor, Conn.) 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, with his fellow senior captain Max Cory (Dublin, Calif.) winning the 100-yard freestyle last year. Cory looks to defend his title this Saturday.

It's 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.

The Bobcats got three additional All-America performances on Friday.

• Junior Sarah Palmer (Brunswick, Maine) took 11th in the women's 100-yard breaststroke, swimming to the finish in the consolation final in 1:02.88. It's the fifth All-America performance of her outstanding career. 
• Junior Tim Johnson (Brewster, Mass.) earned the seventh All-America honor of his career by taking 12th in the men's 100-yard backstroke, racing to the finish in the prelims in 48.29 seconds and touching the wall in the consolation final in 48.33 seconds. 
• Sophomore Nate Oppenheim (Easton, Conn.) turned in the fourth All-America performance of his career, and his first in an individual event, with a 12th-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. He raced to the finish in the consolation final in 54.34 seconds. 

Bates looked like they'd broken their own NCAA Division III record in the 200-yard medley relay when they touched the wall in 1:25.51 in the championship final, but upon review they narrowly got disqualified due to the anchor leg leaving early.

"The 200 medley relay DQ was tough," Casares said. "But we won't forget we are a team that celebrates wins together, and we also get to be together during tough times. And that's the true gift in all of this. Having the privilege to be in this together - and knowing we're there for each other." 

Through three days of competition, the Bates men's team is in seventh place out of 43 scoring teams with 120 points. Meanwhile, Palmer is the lone member of the women's team at the meet, and she tallied six points on Friday for a tie for 33rd with one day remaining.

The Bobcats compete in the men's 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard breaststroke, and 400-yard freestyle relay on Saturday to conclude this year's NCAA Championships, with Palmer wrapping up her meet with the women's 200-yard breaststroke.