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One of the top swimmers in the nation ... Should contend forpoints at the NCAA Championships ... Ranked 2nd in the world inthe 50m back (25.37) and 5th in the 100m back (54.93).
National Competition: Won gold medal in the 50m back and finished fourth in the 100m back at the 2001 FINA World Championships ... Took second in the 100 back (55.00) at the 2001 Spring U.S. Nationals to qualify for the World Championships ... Placed 12th in the 100m back (56.82) and 13th in the 200m back (2:03.65) at the 1999 Summer Nationals ... Finished 6th in the 100m back (57.39) and 18th in the 50m free at the 1999 Spring Nationals ... Spring National age-group champion in 50m free (17-18) ... Had qualifying times for the Olympic Trials in three events ... Traveled to Sheffield, England with the U.S. Junior National Team in 1997 ... Also a member of the Junior National Team in 1998 ... Won the 100m backstroke at the Junior National Championships West in 1997 ... Ranked in the top 10 nationally for 18-and-under in three events ... Has swum for Mike Hastings at California Capital Aquatics since he was 4.
As a Junior in 2001-02: Verizon Academic All-District VIII second team ... Seven-time All-American (three individual and four relay) ... Member of the NCAA Champion 200 free relay team that set and American record (1:16.49) ... Took third in the 50 free at NCAAs (19:48) ... Member of NCAA Champion 200 medley relay team (1:25.47) that set a school record .... Finished third in the 100 back at NCAAs in a time of 46.13) ... Member of NCAA Champion 400 medley relay team (3:06.81) that set a school record ... Placed fourth at NCAAs in the 100 free, clocking in at 42.96 ... Member of 400 free relay team that took second at NCAAs (2:51.63) ... Scored 47 points at NCAAs to finish seventh in the individual high points standings ... Block "S" Outstanding Male Junior Award ... Pac-10 first-team All-Academic selection ... Pac-10 Champion in the 100 back in a Pac-10 Meet record time of 46.35 - is now a three-time Pac-10 Champion in this event ... Swam lead-off leg of the Cardinal's Pac-10 Champion 200 free relay team (1:17.24) ... Placed third in the 50 free at Pac-10s in a time of 19.62 ... Finished third in the 200 back at Pac-10s (1:42.81) in a season and career-best time - it is the seventh fastest time in school history ... Swam first leg of Cardinal's 400 free relay team that placed second at Pac-10s in 2:51.85.
As a Sophomore in 2000-2001: 
Five-time All-American ... Swam lead-off leg of Stanford's NCAA Champion 200 free relay team ... Took third at NCAA's in the 100 back with a time of 46.59 ... Pac-10 Champion in the 100 back (46.91) ... Finished fifth at NCAAs in the 50 free with a time of 19.62 ... Swam a career-best 19.61 in the prelims of this event ... Placed seventh in the 200 back at NCAAs, clocking in at 1:43.51 ... Swam a career-best time of 1:43.12 in this event in the prelims ... Swam lead-off leg of Stanford's 400 medley relay team that placed fourth at NCAAs in a career-best time of 46.31 (100 back) ... Finished third in the 200 back at Pac-10s with a time of 1:44.25 ... Swam lead-off leg of Stanford Pac-10 Champion 200 medley relay team ... Also swam lead-off leg of Stanford's 200 free relay team which took top honors at the conference championships ... Finished fifth at Pac-10s in the 50 free (19.95) ... Tallied a total of 42 points at NCAAs to finish 13th in the individual points standings ... Competed at U.S. Nationals finishing second in the 100 back to qualify for the World Championships ... Stanford Autumn Quarter Honor Athlete ... Block "S" Outstanding Male Sophomore Award winner.
As a Freshman in 1999-2000: Three-time All-American ... Took 6th at nationals in the 400m medley relay (52.62 split) ... Placed 6th at nationals in the 200m free relay (21.88) ... Finished 11th at NCAAs in the 100m back (53.40) ... Had the nation's second-fastest time in the 200-yard back and third-fastest in the 100-yard back ... 2000 Pac-10 champion in both the 100-yard back (47.29) and 200-yard back (1:43.53) ...Also placed 8th in the 50-yard free (20.10, 20.05 prelims) ... Also swam on a pair of Pac-10 champion medley relays ... Led-off both the 400-yard medley (47.04) and the 200-yard medley (22.08) relay squads that won the meet ... Swam the opening leg (20.21) on the 200-yard free relay that placed 2nd ... Took the 200-yard back (1:45.82) in the dual meet with Arizona ... Won the 200-meter back (1:57.01) in the dual-meet win at USC ... Won the 200-yard back (1:45.18) in the dual-meet win over California ... Captured the 50-meter free (23.21) in the dual meet at Michigan ... Claimed the 50- yard free (20.87) in the dual-meet win over Arizona State ... Won the 50-yard free (20.95) and the 200-yard back (1:47.86) in the dual-meet win over British Columbia ... Won the 50-meter free (23.24) and the 200-meter back (2:01.39) at the Colleges Cup in Vancouver ... Won the 400-yard back (3:54.93) in the double-distance meet with California ... Ranks 5th in school history in the 200-yard back, 6th in the 100-yard back and 14th in the 50- yard free.
Prep: Three-time Scholastic All-American ... San Joaquin Section record-holder in the 100 back ... Sierra Nevada Male Swimmer of the Year ... Was on the honor roll all four years at Bella Vista ... Listed in Who's Who In America.
Personal: Major is undecided ... Son of Adrian and Carol Bal ... Born Nov. 14, 1980 ... Son of Adrian and Carol Bal ... Has volunteered as a swim instructor and in computer training ... Licensed ham radio operator ... Certified open-water scuba diver ... Completed four years of seminary curriculum in the Church of Latter-Day Saints ... Sister Robyn is a scholarship swimmer at BYU ... Younger sister, Tamara, is a Junior National qualifier ... Hobbies include scuba diving, wake-boarding, water skiing, basketball and hanging out with friends ... Has three exotic birds (two macaws and a cockatoo).