Manny Sanchez '08 adds to an impressive resume

If you look through the Whittier College swimming record books, there is one name that appears more than any other:  Manuel Sanchez '08.  The junior from Montebello, Calif. has a hand in nine of the fourteen Poets swimming records and holds two SCIAC Championships records.  Add to that five conference swimming championships, three All-American swimming honors and a Water Polo conference championship; Sanchez is becoming one of the most decorated individual athletes in Whittier College history.

On March 16-17 in Houston, Texas, Sanchez competed against the best in Division III swimming for a chance at a national championship.  He qualified in three events: the 200-yard individual medley, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard breaststroke.  In order to qualify, a swimmer must have a time faster than the NCAA Cut Time designated for that event.  A time better than the "A" Cut is automatically qualified.  Swimmers with "B" Cut times are selected by fastest times until each event is filled.  There were 179 men selected to participate in the NCAA Swimming Championships in 2007.

Sanchez's qualifying time in the 200 breaststroke (2:05.21) was the eleventh best time in the country going into the championships.  His time in the 100 breaststroke (:57.76) was good for thirteenth in the nation and he was 26th on the 200 IM list (1:55.06).

Sanchez began the championships in the 200 IM.  He finished 37th in the event with a time of 1:56.68 and failed to reach the finals.  But his stronger events were to follow in the days ahead.  Day two brought on the 100 breaststroke.  Sanchez earned a spot in the finals with a prelim time of :56.76, one second faster than his qualifying time and a personal best.  The time also broke his own Whittier College record.  He earned the first of his All-American honors with an eighth place finish (:56.99) in the finals that night.  On the final day of competition, Sanchez swam the 200 breaststroke morning preliminary round in 2:06.38, entering him in the consolation finals that night.  He finished 16th in the event with a time of 2:08.05; good enough for honorable mention All-American in the event. Sanchez was no stranger to the NCAA Championships when he traveled to Houston last week.  He earned All-American honors in the 100 breaststroke last season when he finished seventh in the event.  The experience last year helped Sanchez prepare for the 2007 Championships.  "I wasn't as nervous going into [the NCAA Championships] this year," said Sanchez.  "That was the most important thing.  I knew what to expect."

Sanchez was one of four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference swimmers to make it to the Championships this year.  As the lone Whittier College competitor in Houston, Sanchez and the other SCIAC swimmers turned to one another for support.  "We became our own team," says Sanchez.  "We supported each other." 

The SCIAC swimmers were already familiar with Sanchez: he was the guy that won conference championships in three events earlier this year (the maximum number of events allowed for one competitor to swim).  He won the 200 IM and the 100 and 200 breaststroke events.  He also holds two SCIAC Championships meet records.  As a sophomore, he set the record in the 100 breaststroke and this season, set the record mark in the 200 breaststroke.  Sanchez has two previous SCIAC Championships in the 200 IM in 2006 and the 100 breaststroke in 2005.

While Sanchez is pleased with his performances in the 2007 Division III NCAA Championships, he isn't satisfied.  "I want a national championship.  Next year, that's my goal," said Sanchez.  With another year under his belt, 2008 could be the season Sanchez comes back to Whittier with a much bigger trophy.