The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HE’S having a sensational season at Florida State, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg for the Seminoles’ junior swimmer as he now prepares for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships at the end of the month.

And according to Bahamas Aquatics Federation president Algernon Cargill, Izaak Bastian is now the top prospect to represent the Bahamas in swimming for the postponed 2020 Olympic Games, now scheduled for July in Tokyo, Japan. While on spring break, Bastian returned home over the weekend to compete in the federation’s Last Chance Meet at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

In his first long course metres meet in over a year, Bastian lowered his Bahamas national record in the 200m breaststroke from two minutes and 17.78 seconds to 2:16.07. He also won the 50m freestyle in 23.41 and the 100m breaststroke in 1:01.92.

As a result of his performances in all three events, Bastian has booked his ticket to the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Championships, scheduled for Aruba.

But Cargill said the focus is Tokyo.

“He moved to the top of our FINA point system for the boys and if the Olympic Games are held, he will be the top male in the Bahamas,” Cargill revealed.

“Prior to this, Jared Fitzgerald was the top qualifier. Both of them are battling it out, so we will see what happens at the end of it.”

Said Bastian, who has helped Florida State to remain undefeated this year:

“I’ve had a pretty successful season so far,” Bastian said. “I definitely can’t complain about it.

“We just finished our conference meet before I came home and so it was a bit tough to travel here and compete without having time to prepare for it, but it was nice. So overall, I’ve had a really good season so far regardless of the COVID-19 experience and we made the best out of it.”

At the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships before he returned home for a brief break, Bastian posted two Florida State records as he helped the No.15 ranked Seminoles to a fifth-place finish.

At the Greensboro Aquatic Centre in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bastian set a new Seminoles record in the 200 yard breast in a time of 1:53.82, surpassing the previous six-year-old record of 1:54.30.

He also set a Florida State record in the 100 yard breast in 51.84, becoming the only Seminole in history to dip under the 52-second barrier as he erased another six-year-old record of 52.11.

“Izaak has really grown into the 200,” FSU head coach Neal Studd told The Tribune.

“He has worked on the details and it paid off with two school records.”

Bastian also teamed with Mason Herbet, Max McCusker and Peter Varjasi to clock 1:23.91 to win the second heat of the timed finals in the 200 yard medley relay to also earn an NCAA Championships qualifying standard.