Virginia Swimmers Conclude Phillips 66 National Championships
Pan Pacific Championship Roster | Results
IRVINE, Calif. – Members of the Virginia swimming team concluded the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships on Sunday (July 29) in Irvine, Calif. Virginia had 12 swimmers advanced to the finals over the five-day competition, finishing in the top 24 in an event at the national championship.
Former Cavalier Leah Smith (class of 2017) earned a silver medal in two events, the 800-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle, during the U.S. national championships. She captured a time of 8:22.79 in the 800-meter freestyle on the opening day of competition, posting the sixth-fastest time in the world this year. In the 400-meter freestyle, Smith finished with the second-best time of the meet, 4:02.21, earning a silver medal in the event.
Smith qualified for the Pan Pacific Championship roster after finishing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:56.93. She will compete in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, the 400-meter freestyle and the 800-meter freestyle at the international meet.
Smith rounded out the meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter individual medley, recording a time of 4:35.68 in the event. She finished the competition with 64 points, tying as the meet’s top point scorer with Kelsi Dahlia.
In addition to Smith, associate head coach Tyler Fenwick will travel to Tokyo for the Pan Pacific Championships after being named to the U.S. national team coaching staff on Sunday as an assistant coach.
Robby Giller (Wilton, Conn.) set a UVA record in the 200-meter backstroke, capturing a time of 1:58.01. He advanced to the B finals in the event, placing first in his heat and ninth overall. He also competed in the 400-meter individual medley, recording a time of 4:22.93. He finished sixth in the B finals of the event. His preliminary time of 4:19.06 ranks second in school history.
Megan Moroney (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) set a school record in the women’s 200-meter backstroke, recording a time of 2:10.53 in the preliminary rounds. Her performance advanced her to the B finals in the event where she finished third in her heat and 11th overall. She recorded a time of 2:10.99 in the finals.
Bryce Keblish (Fairfield, Conn.) set a school record in the 100-meter butterfly. He finished with a time of 53.04 in the preliminary race which advanced him to the C finals. He recorded a time of 53.22 in the finals, placing fifth in his heat. Keblish also advanced to the finals of the 50-meter butterfly, capturing a time of 24.11 in the consolation heat of the event. He finished fourth in his heat and 12th overall.
Advancing to the finals in two events, Paige Madden (Mobile, Ala.) earned a top-24 finish in the 200-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle. Madden finished eighth overall in the 200-meter freestyle, recording a time of 1:59.16, and 18th in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:11.88.
John Whiteside (Fairfield, Conn.) posted a time of 25.86 in the B finals of the 50-meter backstroke. He finished sixth in his consolation heat and 14th overall with the performance.
Morgan Hill (Olney, Md.) advanced the C finals of the 100-meter freestyle, finishing eighth in her heat and 24th overall with a time of 55.50.
Matthew Otto (Newark, Del.) captured a time of 2:14.91 in the C finals of the 200-meter breaststroke, finishing fifth in the heat. Otto’s time of 2:13.47 in the preliminary race ranks third in school history.
In the 200-meter backstroke, Erin Earley (Orange, Conn.) finished fifth in the C final. She recorded a time of 2:13.92.
Swimming in the C finals of the 400-meter individual medley, Brendan Casey (Santa Monica, Calif.) captured the top time of the heat with a time of 4:20.51. Ted Schubert (Ashland, Va.) placed seventh in the C final, recording a time of 4:26.42.
Ryan Baker (Arlington, Va.) concluded the meet for the Cavaliers, advancing to the C finals of the 50-meter freestyle, finishing 23rd overall. He recorded a time of 23.02 in the event.