LIVE STATS I LIVE VIDEO I CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
ATLANTA, Ga. – The No. 24 Virginia Tech men’s swimming and diving team is in Atlanta to compete in the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships that will run March 23-26.
The men’s team is looking to build off a strong fourth place finish at the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships where they were narrowly edged out for third place by North Carolina. Brandon Fiala was also named the ACC's Most Valuable Men's Swimmer after winning two gold medals and a silver.
"We are ready to go in Atlanta. Seniors Lucas Bureau and Logan Stevens will lead us in and out of the pool and I know they are ready to go out in style. Brandon Fiala and Robert Owen have had a strong month of preparation between ACC's and NCAA's and I know they are ready to compete against the best. The Silva brothers look strong as do freshmen Ben Shiesl and Norbert Szabo," said head coach Ned Skinner.
Tech scored 892 team points for the ACC Championships, finishing just 5.5 points behind third place North Carolina. In the 200 breast, Fiala swam a 1:52.87 to set a new ACC meet record as well as a new Virginia Tech school record to earn gold. During the meet, he also won gold in the 200 IM and a silver in the 100 breast. Robert Owen was another Tech swimmer to medal as he won gold in the 400 IM for the second straight year.
Fiala will compete in the 200 IM, 100 breast and 200 breast while Owen will be swimming in the 400 IM, 200 back and 200 IM. Owen was a Honorable Mention All-American last year in the 400 IM and 200 back. Lucas Bureau will be swimming in the 200 free, 200 IM and the 100 free. Norbert Szabo will be swimming in the 200 IM, 100 Fly and 200 Fly and the team will also be swimming in the 400 medley relay. Brent Benedict and Zach Switzer are also in Atlanta.
Fiala heads into the meet with the second fastest seed time in the country in the 200 IM at 1:42.26. He has the third fastest seed time in the 100 breast at 51.86 as well as fourth in the 200 breast at 1:52.87. Owen has the seventh fastest seed time in the 400 IM at 3:41.08.
On the diving side, four divers will compete for the Hokies. Mauro Castro-Silva earned a bronze for his performance at the ACC Championships in the platform event and will compete in that event as well as the 1-meter and 3-meter. Ben Schiesl will compete in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform event. Stevens will compete in the 1-meter and platform. Eduardo Castro-Silva will compete in the 3-meter and platform.
The meet begins tonight with the 800 free relay but the Hokies will compete in their first events tomorrow morning with preliminaries beginning at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for the finals. The events for Thursday include the 200 Free Relay, 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 1-meter diving and the 400 medley relay.
For updates on Virginia Tech swimming & diving, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_SwimDive