GREENSBORO, N.C. – Connecticut College junior
Justin Finkel (Cheshire, Conn.) was crowned national champion in the 500 freestyle on Wednesday night at the 2024 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
After turning in the fastest time in the morning preliminaries, Finkel outdid himself in the championship finals. He swam a controlled race that saw him power to the finish in 4:21.32, breaking his own school and NESCAC records in the process.
Finkel secured the eighth individual national title in school history. He becomes just the sixth Camel to achieve the feat, and only the second in the men's swimming & diving program's history.
The championship final featured eight swimmers, six of whom competed in the same heat as Finkel in the morning session. Finkel hung back in the early stages of the race and was in fifth at the midway point, which is where Brandeis' Samuel Dienstag overtook Tufts' Rafae Shafi for the lead.
Dienstag built a sizable advantage over the field before Finkel chased him down in the back half. By the 400-yard mark it was a two-man race, although Finkel still trailed by a body length. On the bell lap, Finkel pulled even by the final turn and overtook Dienstag over the final 25 yards to clinch the victory.
"I had a lot more in the last half than I thought I would," said Finkel following the performance. "I went out how I wanted to, but I'm just glad I had that last kick in the end."
Finkel is Conn's first individual national champion since women's swimmer Mary Erb in 2017, and the first men's swimmer to reach the pinnacle since Sam Gill in 2014. He now joins a short list of Conn College national champions that also includes Michael LeDuc, Alex Samma and Kate Kovenock.
"It certainly means a lot," said Finkel about his first national title. "It's a dream of every swimmer. I've been working on this for a while, so I'm glad I'm finally here, and it's a dream come true."
Finkel has the chance to add more hardware to the trophy case in the coming days. On Thursday he will compete in the 200 free—where he owns the nation's top seed time—and on Friday he will take part in the 200 butterfly.
