Junior Roko Simunic competed in the 2009 European Short Course Championships on Friday, Dec. 11. The competition was held in Istanbul, Turkey. He was chosen to compete in the 50-meter backstroke, an event in which he was internationally ranked.
Simunic made it all the way to the semifinals, just missing the cut-line to make the final heat. In the preliminary round, Simunic swam the 50 meters in 24.00, 1.2 seconds behind the leader and 15th overall. He followed that performance with a 24.01 in the finals, once again finishing in 15th place. The top ten finishers made the final heat.
Though Missouri State does not compete in the 50-meter backstroke, Simunic's times were nearly a second faster than his time at the Sisak Nutrix Sprint last year. At that meet, Simunic turned in a time of 24.41.
Simunic and the Bears return to action on Jan. 8, when they swim in the Tunica Invitational in Tunica, Miss.
