T&T swimmer Nikoli Blackman earned a gold and bronze relay medal as he and his University of Tennessee teammates got the better of fellow T&T swimmer Zarek Wilson's University of Alabama in their Dual Meet at Don Gambril Olympic Pool in the Alabama Aquatic Centre, Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday.
Blackman and the ninth-ranked Vols bested 15th-ranked Alabama's 'Crimson Tide', 189-111, winning 12 of 16 events, which included breaking eight pool records on the day.
Blackman swam the third leg for the University of Tennessee 'A' team which also featured Gui Garibe, Lamar Taylor and Jordan Crooks as they stormed to victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay in one minute, 15.69 seconds, with the University of Alabama 'A' second in 1:17.89 and the University of Tennessee 'B', third in 1:19.25 followed by the University of Alabama 'B' which featured Kyle Micallef, Toni Dragoja, Ethan Otten and Wilson on the last leg, fourth in 1:19.98.
In the men's 200-yard medley relay, Blackman swam the final leg behind Taylor, Jed Garner and Bjoern Kammann as the University of Tennessee 'B' took third spot in one minute, 23.71 seconds.
The University of Tennessee 'A' quartet of Ryan Williams, Kevin Houseman, Garibe and Crooks won gold in 1:23.82 with the University of Alabama 'A' taking silver in 1:25.44 while their 'B' team of Jarrett Payne, Noah Saylor, Ben Hines and Wilson on the final leg ended in the fourth spot in 1:26.88.
A former world junior champion in the 50m freestyle, Blackman also secured a bronze medal in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:34.00 to trail Alabama's Charlie Hawke (1:33.01) and Kaique Alves (1:33.45). In the 100-yard freestyle, he had to settle for the fourth spot in 43,35 seconds, with Caribe (42.42) the winner ahead of schoolmate Taylor (42.49) and Alves third in 43.04 while Wilson was seventh in 44.29, and he also placed eighth in the 100-yard butterfly in 49.20 seconds.
