Buck Finishes Third in Final Event at SA Nationals

DURBAN, South Africa – Whitworth senior Rory Buck finished in third place in the championship finals of the 200-meter breaststroke at the South African Aquatics Championships on Friday evening.

Buck's final time was 2:17.71.  Neil Versfeld, a graduate of the University of Georgia and a 2008 Olympian, won the event with a time of 2:12.73.  Terrence Parkin, who was the silver medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was second in 2:15.63.

Buck had posted a personal lifetime best mark of 2:17.55 in Thursday's semifinals.

Buck concludes his career as the most decorated swimmer in Whitworth history.  He is a four-time NCAA Division III Champion (twice each for the 100-yard and 200-yard Breaststroke events).  He was selected as the 2011 NCAA Division III Men's Swimmer of the Year after breaking a long-standing national record in the 200 distance.  He has twice competed at the South African national championships and qualified for the World University Games in China in 2011.