FEDERAL WAY, WASH.- Over 2,800 miles from Penn, senior breaststroke specialist Matt Fallon swam his final collegiate race in the Evergreen State. Thousands of people lined the stands of Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center, eager to see the best of the best in collegiate swimming and diving.
The Daily Pennsylvanian multimedia editors traveled to Washington to witness it all.
Though Fallon was the only Penn athlete to make it to the NCAA swimming and diving championships, his last collegiate race was met with thunderous cheers from the stands, including his family.
The swim meet for Fallon began around 10:45 a.m. in the preliminary round for the 200-yard breaststroke. This race included his signature leisurely first half, followed with a hard sprint to the finish. He finished with a time of 01:49:85.
At around 6:55 p.m., Fallon entered the NCAA Championships for the last time.
After a close race at prelims, Fallon swam against eight other swimmers from six schools in the final. With a time of 1:48.87, only 0.02 seconds off his best time, Fallon finished second in the race.
After four years, an Olympic qualification (complete with the tattoo to prove it), and countless 200 breaststroke races, Fallon capped off his collegiate career with a third NCAA medal, adding to his impressive collection.
