He is the second-best freshman in the country – and he’s disappointed about it.

Luk Boral concluded his freshman season this past weekend at the NCAA Swimming Championships at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in East Meadow. Competing in the 200-meter breaststroke, he finished 19th in the nation with a time of 2:12.96. But for the Poland native, the strong performance, which was a lifetime best, left him bittersweet.

‘My whole feeling was so mixed,’ Boral said. ‘When I came out of the pool, I saw my time, and I thought to myself, ‘That’s a good time.’ But when I saw I finished sixth in my heat, I knew that wouldn’t be good enough. It was a good time, but I was a little disappointed.’

While the 2:12.96 time was the fastest he’s ever swam the race, it wasn’t quite what he aimed for. The impressive time wasn’t good enough to finish in the top 16 and earn team points. Going in to the championships, Boral made it his goal to finish in the top 16. The biggest difference between finishing 16th and 19th: earning All-America honors.

For another year, Boral will have to hold off on the prestigious status and wait to add another all-America certificate to the office wall of head coach Lou Walker.

‘He is right where we hoped he would be,’ Walker said, ‘This was an extremely fast situation, as fast as I have ever seen.’

How fast were this year’s championships? Seven world records were set, and twice as many American records were broken. For Boral to swim a personal best and finish just outside of his desired top 16 finishers is no small feat.

‘Guys mature,’ Walker said, ‘They get physically stronger throughout college. Luk enrolled here when he was 18 and had a birthday during the season. He is going to improve as he gets older and stronger.’

Of the 18 swimmers who finished ahead of Boral in the 200 breaststroke, eight were seniors. Just one freshman – Vanja Rogulj of Virginia, originally from Croatia – finished ahead of the Syracuse standout.

Figuring into the meet was the eight-lane, 25-meter pool, something Boral had grown accustomed to in Poland but had not seen in his tenure here in the states. Webster Pool – where Syracuse practices and swims its home meets – is an outdated facility and a six-lane, 25-yard pool.

The difference from yards to meters obviously means a slightly longer race. A race where times will consequently be longer, and the number of strokes a swimmer must use to get from one end of the pool to the other will increase. A transition most collegiate swimmers don’t even have to think about (because they practice in pools that are in meters) didn’t phase Boral.

Still a teenager, the talented swimmer held his own against seasoned college veterans and some fully developed men. Walker had nothing but praise for his young star.

‘Lou talked about all the things I had done,’ Boral said. ‘He told me to be proud of how well I swam, in Nike Cup, Big East Championships and told me I had accomplished a lot.’

‘I think he is not satisfied,’ Walker said, ‘but is that to say with a personal best in a very tough meet he should be disappointed? No. The 16th finisher was just tenths of a second ahead.’

So as Boral’s impressive rookie campaign comes to a close, it will finally be time for some rest and recuperation. Well, not just yet. Ten weeks from yesterday are the Poland Nationals, and Boral – a reigning National Champion in the 200 breaststroke – will set his sights on the Olympics.

To qualify will not be easy. The toughest competition in his event will not come from other Polish swimmers but rather the clock. Time is the only thing separating Boral from an appearance in Athens, Greece this summer. The 2002 Junior European Champion is up for the challenge.

‘I am going to talk to my coach from Poland soon,’ Boral said, ‘We will figure out what workout I am going to do. I would like to do some more weights and train hard for these 10 weeks.’

In order to represent his country, the phenomenal freshman would have to meet Poland’s required time of 2:14. The national record, which has stood for a decade, is 2:14.6, a record that Boral would have to beat in order to qualify. The national competition will be held in a 50-meter pool – Olympic size – and Boral would have to shave roughly three seconds off of a personal best time.

From Poland to SU and soon back to his country, this first-year sensation has done nothing but impress those around him. Saturday, an event that should be the first of four successful NCAA Championships, was just another excerpt in his already lengthy resume. Boral, with Big East and National Championships to his credit enjoyed the experience.

‘It was a great lesson for me,’ Boral said. ‘I saw different techniques, how some guys make turns. On one hand I was disappointed, but on the other hand I was happy and I know I did my best.’

Published on March 29, 2004 at 12:00 pm