George Washington University Athletics
Bolognesi Qualifies for NCAA Swim & Dive Championships
3/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
| 2016 NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships | |
| Date | Wednesday, March 23 - Saturday, March 26 |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia | McAuley Aquatic Center - Georgia Tech |
| Coverage | Watch Prelims | Watch Finals on WatchESPN | Live Results |
| Additional Information | Official Psych Sheet | Championship Central |
NCAA Championships Press Release
WASHINGTON - GW men's swimming and diving junior Andrea Bolognesi has qualified to compete at the 2016 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships held at Georgia Tech from March 23-26.
Bolognesi is the third swimmer in program history to qualify for the Championships and the first since GW Hall of Fame member Tim Champney ('00) attended the 1999 Championships.
"We are very honored to be representing George Washington and the Atlantic 10 conference at this year's NCAA Championships," said first-year head coach James Winchester. "The Championships are arguably the most difficult and competitive meet in the world to qualify for, and we are excited for the opportunity."
A native of Cuveglio, Italy, Bolognesi's Atlantic 10 and GW record time of 52.44 in the 100-yard breast ranks 16th in the nation, earning him a spot at the NCAA Championships. Bolognesi will complete in the preliminaries on the morning of Friday, March 25. The top-16 performances from the preliminary heats will return for the evening final, with the top-eight swimmers in the Championship Final.
The top-16 performers in each event will earn All-America status.
"Andrea has worked exceptionally hard for this moment, and has done this with great support on a daily basis from his teammates" said Winchester. "Andrea's performances at the A-10 meet were historic and ground breaking, and now we will get to see what he can do against the best in the nation."
Bolognesi earned his spot at the Championships after posting a stellar 2016 Atlantic 10 Championships that saw the junior post three individual and conference records while helping the Colonials set four program relay records. In addition to his three gold medals, Bolognesi was awarded Most Outstanding Performer by the conference at the conclusion of the meet.
Sophomore Gustav Hokfelt also gained consideration, finishing the year ranked No. 81 in the 100-yard backstroke with his GW record and NCAA 'B' Cut time of 48.26 at the Atlantic 10 Championships - breaking Champney's record that had stood since 1999.
"Gustav has also worked exceptionally well to be considered for the championships," said Winchester. "He had an exceptional year, breaking school records, dropping time, and putting himself on the Swedish National Team radar."
"To qualify for the NCAA Championships during my first year is truly rewarding," said Winchester. "Andrea's selection is really a representation of our program's growth from top to bottom, and is really the icing on the cake after a successful A-10 Championships. The growth and results we have had are just the beginning of where we want to take our program, and this is a great stepping stone toward our future program goals."
Players Mentioned
