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Swimming & Diving

H2Okies send program-best 10 to the NCAA Championships

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech swimming and diving program will send three divers and seven swimmers, the most in program history, to the 2013 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships at begin Thursday, March 28 in Indianapolis, Ind. Competition will go through Saturday, March 30.

Tech, the 2013 ACC runner-up, will send divers Logan Shinholser, Ryan Hawkins and Kyle Butts. Butts will be competing for the first time on the national stage, while this is Shinholser’s fourth time and will look to better his 39 points which includes All-American status in all three events a year ago. This is Hawkins’ third-straight year competing at the NCAAs and has collected All-American status in the platform event.

Joining the divers are swimmers Gregory Mahon, Zach McGinnis, Morgan Latimer, Michal Szuba, Joe Bonk, Emmett Dignan and Nathan Hoisington. This is the second-straight trip for Mahon and McGinnis, while Latimer, Szuba, Bonk, Dignan and Hoisington are all first timers.

Mahon, McGinnis, Latimer and Szuba are the only swimmers competing individually. Mahon is ranked 12th in the 100 butterfly, 31st in the 200 butterfly and 41st in the 200 IM. McGinnis was dominate in the backstroke events all season for him to be ranked 12th in the 100 and 17th in the 200. Latimer is heading into his first championships ranked 38th in the 100 butterfly, 40th in the 200 freestyle and 16th in the 100 butterfly. Szuba will swim the distance freestyles and is ranked as high as 23rd in the mile.

Bonk, Dignan and Hoisington will represent the H2Okies as all three will swim relay events. Bonk will compete in the 200 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay and the 200 medley relay. Dignan will swim the second leg of the 400 medley, while Hoisington will swim the second leg of the 200 medley.

Last season, the H2Okies broke into the top 20 for the first time in program history, placing 18th at the NCAAs. Tech sent two divers and two swimmers who captured six All-American honors. Shinholser was named an All-American in all three diving events, while Hawkins took the honors in the platform event. Mahon and McGinnis earned Honorable Mention All-American honors in the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke, respectively.

Competition begins each day with the trials starting at 11 a.m., followed by the finals at 7 p.m. The schedule of events each day is listed below. ESPN3.com will stream the finals sessions on Friday and Saturday live.

NCAA Championship Event Schedule

THURSDAY

• 200 Freestyle Relay

• 500 Freestyle

• 200 IM

• 50 Freestyle

• 400 Medley Relay

• 1-Meter Diving

FRIDAY

• 200 Medley Relay

• 400 IM

• 100 Butterfly

• 200 Freestyle

• 100 Breaststroke

• 100 Backstroke

• 3-Meter Diving

• 800 Freestyle Relay

SATURDAY

• 1650 Freestyle

• 200 Backstroke

• 100 Freestyle

• 200 Breaststroke

• 200 Butterfly

• Platform Diving

• 400 Freestyle Relay