Virginia Tech to send 21 student-athletes to 2017 NCAA Championships

12 men and nine women will represent the H2Okies at this year's national meet

March 13, 2017

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech swimming and diving program will see 21 student-athletes compete at this year’s NCAA Championships as 12 men and nine women are set to take to the pool with some of the world’s best athletes in Indianapolis over the next two weeks.

The Hokie men finished 19th at last year’s championships while the women finished 25th. It marked the fourth time in program history that both the men’s and women’s squads finished in the top 25 in the nation in the same season.

“I truly believe that this is the best team that we’ve ever taken to the NCAA Championships,” head coach Ned Skinner said. “We have women and men with great scoring potential and I am excited to watch them capitalize on all of the hard work that has been done.”

The Tech women will take to the pool on March 15 and the men’s competition will begin March 22.

Reka Gyorgy
Class – Freshman
Country – Hungary
Event – Backstroke and IM

Gyorgy is a 2016 Olympian for her native country of Hungary. She is the reigning ACC Champion in the Women’s 400 IM and holds school records in the 200 and 400 IM races. She looks to continue building on the momentum she has created so far this season at the 2017 NCAA Championships.

NCAA Events:
200 IM
400 IM
200 Backstroke

Top Times:
200 IM – 1:57.22
400 IM – 4:04.97
200 Backstroke – 1:54.57

Klaudia Nazieblo
Class – Senior
Country – Poland
Event – Butterfly and IM

Nazieblo returns to the national stage and is looking to repeat her All-American performance from last season. The Wroclaw, Poland native is coming off of a very successful 2016-17 season that saw her win five Polish national titles and break three national records. Klaudia currently holds school records in seven different events.

NCAA Events:
200 IM
400 IM
200 Butterfly

Top Times:
200 IM – 1:58.41
400 IM – 4:07.63
50 Backstroke – 24.14
100 Backstroke - 51.86
200 Backstroke – 1:53.04
200 Butterfly – 1:53.77

Jess Hespeler
Class – Senior
Country – United States
Event – Freestyle

Hespeler is coming off of a record setting ACC Championships that saw her break four different school records. The Ledyard, Connecticut product is no stranger to elite competition as she found herself in the championship finals in several events at the 2016 US Open this past summer. Hespeler looks to help guide the Hokies to their highest finish ever at this year’s NCAA Championships.

NCAA Events:
200 Freestyle
500 Freestyle
1,650 Freestyle

Top Times:
100 Freestyle – 50.04
200 Freestyle – 1:44.07
500 Freestyle – 4:39.40
1,000 Freestyle – 9:39.02
1,650 Freestyle - 16:05.26

Chloe Hicks
Class – Freshman
Country – United States
Event – Backstroke

Hicks, a 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, has enjoyed a very successful freshman campaign. The ACC finalist has dropped more than five seconds off her time in the 200 backstroke. Hicks and Gyorgy have combined to make a formidable 1-2 punch in their first seasons with the H₂Okies.

NCAA Events:
100 Backstroke
200 Backstroke

Top Times:
200 Freestyle – 1:49.73
500 Freestyle – 4:55.74
100 Backstroke – 53.19
200 Backstroke – 1:53.70

NCAA Relay Women’s Qualifiers
Adriana Grabski – Women’s 400 Medley Relay (2016 US Olympic Trials Qualifier)
Kelly Henry – Women’s 400 Medley Relay
Fiona Donnelly – Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay and 400 Medley Relay (Olympic Trials Qualifier/Commonwealth Games Qualifier)

Brandon Fiala
Class – Senior
Country – United States
Event – Breaststroke and IM

Senior captain Brandon Fiala returns to put the exclamation point on an already historic career with the H₂Okies. The three-time All-American posted school and conference records in the men’s 100 and 200 breaststroke events at the 2017 ACC Championships while also earning up two ACC titles in the process. Brandon looks to solidify his place as one of the best ACC swimmers in history in Indianapolis.

NCAA Events:
200 IM
100 Breaststroke
200 Breaststroke

Top Times:
50 Freestyle – 19.98
100 Breaststroke – 51.50
200 Breaststroke – 1:52.39
200 IM – 1:41.95

Robert Owen
Class – Senior
Country – United States
Event – Backstroke and IM

Robert Owen, a 2016 U.S. National Team member, has carried his momentum from this summer’s Olympic Trials into this season. The senior captain successfully defended his 400 IM title at the 2017 ACC Championships for the third year in a row, making him the first in program history and one of only six swimmers in ACC history to win the event three times. After earning honorable mention All-American honors last year, Owen looks to finish his NCAA career by picking up his first All-American nod.

NCAA Events:
200 IM
400 IM
200 BK

Top Times:
200 IM – 1:44.30
400 IM - 3:38.43
100 Backstroke – 47.01
200 Backstroke – 1:40.29

Norbert Szabo
Class - Sophomore
Country - Hungary
Event – Butterfly and IM

Szabo, a 2016 Olympian for Hungary, has been a major player for the Hokies in a myriad of events. The 2017 NCAA Championships will be Szabo’s second time at the national competition and he will look to continue building off of his experience from last season.

NCAA Events:
200 IM
200 Freestyle
200 Butterfly

Top Times:
200 IM – 1:44.34
200 Freestyle – 1:34.53
100 Butterfly – 46.80
200 Butterfly – 1:43.37

Sean Workman
Class - Sophomore
Country - United States
Event – Backstroke

Workman, a 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, has emerged as a key contributor for the H₂Okies this season. The sophomore will be competing in his first NCAA Championship and has the talent to join Robert Owen as one of the backstrokers in the history of the program.

NCAA Events:
200 IM
100 Backstroke
200 Backstroke

Top Times:
200 IM – 1:46.46
100 Backstroke – 47.49
200 Backstroke – 1:41.74

NCAA Relay Men’s Qualifiers
Adam Stacklin – Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay
Harrison Pierce – Men’s 200 Medley Relay and 400 Medley Relay
Ian Ho – Men’s 200 Medley Relay and 400 Medley Relay (U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier)
Jake Lamparella – Men’s 200 Medley Relay (U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier)

Ashley Buchter
Class - Redshirt Junior
Country – United States
Event – Diver

Buchter took a redshirt year last season after coming off of rotator cuff surgery. She’s a multi-time ACC finalist and will be competing at the NCAA Championships for the third time. Her third place finish on platform at the NCAA Zone A Championships clinched her bid to the meet.

NCAA events:
3 Meter Springboard
Platform

Ashlynn Peters
Class – Sophomore
Country – United States
Event – Diver

After a productive freshman campaign, Peters has been diving at an extremely high level as a sophomore. She is the reigning ACC Champion on the three meter springboard and was ACC Diver of the Week on January 17. At the Zone A Championships, Peters had three top six finishes in three events.

NCAA events:
1 Meter Springboard
3 Meter Springboard
Platform

Mauro Castro Silva
Class – Junior
Country – Mexico
Event – Diver

Mauro is a multi-time ACC finalist, an ACC bronze medalist and has represented Mexico in multiple junior international competitions. He scored a 689.45 to place second in the platform finals at Zones and turned in a 685.85 in the three meter.

NCAA events:
1 Meter Springboard
3 Meter Springboard
Platform

Eduardo Castro Silva
Class – Sophomore
Country – Mexico
Event – Diver

Eduardo is Mauro’s younger brother and is a multi-time ACC finalist and Mexican Junior National Champion in his own right. This will be his second trip to NCAAs after qualifying in all three events at Zones.

NCAA events
1 Meter Springboard
3 Meter Springboard
Platform

Thomas Shinholser
Class – Redshirt Junior
Country – United States
Event – Diver

Shinholser is a multi-time ACC finalist, bronze medalist and a 2014 honorable mention All-American on platform. He has accelerated into the championship segment of the season by winning the Zone A Championships on platform in convincing fashion to qualify for the NCAAs.

NCAA events:
1 Meter Springboard
Platform

Ben Schiesl
Class – Sophomore
Country – United States
Event – Diver

Schiesl has made some incredible strides between his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He is a two-time finalist at ACCs and was second in the one meter event at Zones to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

NCAA events:
1 Meter Springboard
3 Meter Springboard
Platform

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