Virginia Swimmers Head to Olympic Trials
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June 23, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A total of 46 swimmers with ties to the University of Virginia will compete in the upcoming Olympic Trials, set to begin Monday at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.
Virginia will be represented by 20 men and 16 women who were part of the 2011-12 Cavalier squads that won their fifth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Additionally, 10 newcomers and five alumni will also participate at Trials. The meet will feature a total of 1,829 swimmers – 929 men and 900 women.
Preliminaries will be available via live webcast at USASwimming.org before semifinals and finals can be seen on the NBC Sports and NBC networks. A full television schedule is available at the bottom of this release.
“We are awfully excited to bring such a large group of current student-athletes, see so many of our incoming recruits and be part of what our postgraduate athletes are trying to do in Omaha as well,” Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. “It is going to be a very special Olympic Trials. We have high hopes for several athletes on this team; we think we can be competitive and make a run at being U.S. Olympians.”
Among Virginia’s highest-seeded swimmers include 2011 graduate Matt McLean, who is listed second in the 400-meter freestyle and sixth in the 200-meter freestyle. McLean’s classmate, Scot Robison, is seeded eighth in the 100-meter freestyle and 11th in the 200-meter freestyle.
The 200-meter freestyle also includes 2012 graduate Peter Geissinger, listed at No. 16, and incoming freshman Nick Alexiou, who is seeded 20th. Rising junior Jan Daniec, who earned his American citizenship in February, is listed 19th in the 400-meter freestyle. Additionally, 2000 Olympian Ed Moses will also compete at Trials; he earned silver in the 100-meter breaststroke and took gold as a member of the 4×100 medley relay in Sydney. Moses is seeded 19th in the 200-meter breaststroke and 20th in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Rising junior Rachel Naurath is the highest seeded Cavalier woman at No. 9 in the 200-meter butterfly and No. 20 in the 400-meter freestyle. Rising senior Lauren Perdue makes a return to Olympic Trials after missing the NCAA Championships because of back surgery. She is seeded 18th in the 200-meter freestyle, while incoming freshman Courtney Bartholomew sits 20th in the 200-meter backstroke.
“The U.S. Olympic swim team is the greatest dynasty in sports,” Bernardino said. “It has dominated the sport of swimming like no other. We truly hope we are able to contribute a member or two to the 2012 Olympic swim team. I feel good about our opportunities for several male and female athletes to be able to advance to the semifinals and finals. Once you get out of the preliminaries, it’s anyone’s opportunity, and that’s all you can ask.”
The top-two swimmers in each individual event earn spots on the U.S Olympic Team. The top-four finishers in both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events will also officially make the team, however, there is an option to add the fifth and sixth-place finishers to the squad as alternates. The meet runs through Monday, July 2.
2012 Olympic Trials TV Schedule
Monday, June 25
Prelims: 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals: 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Tuesday, June 26
Prelims: 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals: 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Wednesday, June 27
Prelims: 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Thursday, June 28
Prelims: 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals: 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Friday, June 29
Prelims: 4:30-6:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals: 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Saturday, June 30
Prelims: 6:30-8:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals: 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Sunday, July 1
Prelims: 6:00-7:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports
Finals, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Monday, July 2
No Prelims
Finals: 8:00-8:30 p.m. ET