Considering the quality of the field, being in the Top-100 was enough of an achievement for Art Sanchez to draw praise from NIU’s swimming boss Dave Clark.

Sanchez swam a :24.56 for the 50-meter freestyle which placed him 96th among the 120-plus entrants competing in that event April 7 at the King County Weyerhauser Aquatic Center in Seattle.

The NIU junior earned his berth to the four-day meet by easily beating the 50-yard free-style qualifying standard of :20.99 with a :20.85 school record in the Wheaton College Invitational.

Sanchez was a key contributor toward the Huskies’ 1991 Mid-Continent Conference Championship triumph and second-place Midwest Division I Independent Regional finish.

“Since this meet serves as a qualifier for the Pan-Am, Pan-Pacific and World University Games, it attracted everyone who’s anybody in swimming,” Clark said. “From NCAA All-Americas to our country’s top amateurs to some top swimmers from overseas.

“You have to remember, only so many people qualify for this meet,” Clark said. “There are thousands of swimmers nationally and internationally who didn’t make it there.

“To me, finishing in the Top-100 amidst several thousand is pretty darn good,” Clark insisted.

In addition to his 50-meter freestyle effort, Sanchez entered the 100-meter butterfly exhibition heats and placed fifth within his heat based on a :57.86 clocking.

Times from both events should not only help Sanchez from an experience standpoint, but also further his hopes for competing in the Olympics as a member of the Columbian National team.

Sanchez’s family holds dual citizenship having immigrated to the U.S. from Columbia.

His :20.85 50-yard time would qualify as the Columbian national record, therefore making him eligible for possible international competition on that country’s national team.