BY ROBB LUEHR
Journal Times | Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:00 am
Mitch Buenger didn't realize he was making Racine swimming history.
During a phone interview Wednesday, the Horlick High School graduate and University of Wisconsin freshman found out that he is just the second Racine swimmer, and the first in three decades, to earn a spot at the NCAA Division I National Swimming and Diving Championships.
The last Racine swimmer to compete at Division I nationals was Jim Sorensen, a 1976 Case graduate who competed for Wisconsin from 1977 through 1981 and swam at nationals three times.
"It's pretty exciting," said Buenger, who will swim the anchor leg on the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays for the Badgers March 27-29 at Seattle.
What's even more impressive is that Buenger was a walk-on for the Badgers' swimming program, but has fit right in.
"It's a pretty big rush," Buenger said of swimming the anchor leg. "The way it works in high school, you put the fastest leg at the end. In college, what you try to do is put the fastest guy first and see who can get the lead."
Junior Kyle Sorensen has the fastest time from a flat start, Buenger said, and leads off both relays. He's followed by sophomore Phil Davies, junior Mike Desautels and Buenger.
Sorensen and Davies also qualified in the sprint freestyles and junior Scott Rice qualified in the 100 and 200 butterfly events.
The Badgers' 200 freestyle relay will be the 12th seed at nationals with a time of 1:19.24 and the 400 freestyle relay, which had a B cut time of 2:55.78, will be the 14th seed. Both times, set at the Big Ten Championships Feb. 28-March 1, were among the top five in UW history. The 200 relay finished fifth and the 400 relay was fourth.
Buenger has had career-bests of 20.2 in the 50 freestyle and a 200 freestyle relay split of 19.4.
Buenger's freshman year has been a learning experience, balancing school and athletics. Freshman generally take easier classes to get acclimated to college life, which does have its drawbacks.
"There's a limit to what you can take (as a major)," Buenger said. "Education, medical school or physical therapy are tough, so community leadership is an option. I can do mission work or be a youth pastor and see where it takes me.
"Right now I want to get a degree at Madison and see where I take it."