Blake Worsley saved his best for last.
A senior on the DU men’s swim team, Worsley closed out his collegiate career with three personal best times at the NCAA swimming and diving championships at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
“It was great moment for me. It’s been something I’ve been working hard at for a long time,” Worsley says. “I couldn’t have hoped for anything better.”
His meet included a sixth-place finish in the 500-meter freestyle, a ninth-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle and 42nd-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle. Worsley became the first DU swimmer DU to score in the top-eight at the NCAA championships since the sports returned to Division I in 1998.
Worsley, who earned his second consecutive All-American honor, contributed to the best season in program history. The men’s team won its first Sun Belt Conference (SBC) championship this year.
“Blake has three things that helped him improve so quickly and dramatically—he is a gifted athlete, he works hard and he works hard with a fun attitude,” says Brian Schrader, head coach of the DU swim team. “We have had such tremendous improvements all through our program, and I think Blake really is kind of the model for that.”
At the conference meet, Worsley won the 500-, 200- and 100-yard freestyle events. That performance qualified him for the NCAAs. Worsley also was named the SBC Male Swimmer of the Year for the second year in a row.
The Vancouver, British Columbia native will try to qualify for the Canadian world championship team in July. If Worsley makes the team, he will travel to Rome in August for the world championships.
“It is one of the most meaningful things any athlete could hope for,” Worsley says of the All-American honor. “I am grateful for what DU has done for me.”