Derry grad Baum misses chance to compete at NCAA swimming

Derry alum and Saint Vincent junior swimmer Zach Baum worked hard all season to make the NCAA Division III championship, only to see it canceled because of the coronavirus scare.

“It was pretty disappointing for both of us,” Bearcat coach Josh Gurekovich said. “I was only able to talk with Zach over the phone since the college was shut down.

“He seemed to take it pretty well, but he also had some time to mentally prepare for it with all the news reports and closures going on.”

Baum was seeded 11th in the men’s 100 butterfly in 48.35 seconds and 19th in the 50 freestyle (20.39) in the meet, which was to be held March 18-21 in Greensboro, N.C.

He also was seeded in the 100 freestyle (45.54).

He said he would be thrilled to make the podium in the 100 butterfly.

He was one of 236 men’s swimmers invited.

“He set the goal (of qualifying) back in September, and this was his focus for the six-plus months of training,” Gurekovich said.

Gurekovich said Baum’s next big competition will be in November in the Franklin & Marshall Invitational.

He made his first NCAA B cut this season in last fall’s meet.

Baum, the 2017 WPIAL Class AA champion and ’16 and ’17 PIAA runner-up in the 100 butterfly, improved his meet record in the 100 butterfly (48.92) in February’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship. It was the third season he won the event.

“I don’t have to do much to keep him motivated,” Gurekovich said. “If anything, he is going to come back more motivated with having nationals taken away.”