Naperville's Cordes Breaks Multiple Records at Swim Championships

Arizona Wildcats sophomore swimmer Kevin Cordes, a Neuqua Valley product from Naperville, continues to make a massive splash in the swimming world as he posted multiple record breaststroke times last week and weekend at the 2013 Men’s NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.

According to Sports Illustrated, on Friday night Cordes broke both the U.S. short-course and NCAA records in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 50.74, winning the final and breaking his own American record of 50.93 and Damir Drugonjic's 2009 NCAA record of 50.86.

Then, on Saturday, Cordes erased the NCAA and American records for the 200-yard breaststroke as well, swimming the distance in a record-breaking 1:48:68, Swimming World Magazine reports.

Those were atop his Thursday performance in relay, where Cordes posted the first-ever NCAA sub-50-second 100-yard breaststroke relay stint with a 49.56, according to swimswam.com. (Author Braden Keith: "So, I texted my swimmers that someone just went a 49.56 in the 100 breaststroke. Their response: 'What? How?' Precisely.")

"I guess I have times in my mind, but I just really go out there and try swim as fast as I can to the best of my ability," Cordes told Sports Illustrated.

“It’s a great training environment at Arizona. I’m really happy I found the right school and the right coaches and teammates. It’s been a blessing to be able to race each other every day," he added to ArizonaWildcats.com.

The Wildcats finished third behind Michigan and California, with 313.5 points.