Swimming & Diving to Close Season at CSCAA NIC

Thursday, March 14

Cleveland, OH

ALL DAY

George Washington University

CSCAA National Invitational

3/13/2019 11:19:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

GW will send 23 swimmers to Cleveland

George Washington will have 23 swimmers in action at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, running Thursday through Saturday at Cleveland State's Busbey Natatorium.

The Colonials - 12 men and 11 women - qualified for the season-ending national meet by either achieving NCAA consideration times or winning gold at last month's Atlantic 10 Championships. This edition is set to feature 59 schools from across the country with 594 total competitors entered.

LAST TIME OUT: GW showcased its top-end quality and depth on both sides in an impressive showing at the A-10 meet three weeks ago. The men rolled to their third straight team title behind 22 medal-winning efforts, while the women claimed 13 medals - six of them gold - to take second behind Duquesne to equal their best conference finish in program history.

RETURN TO THE NIC: In 2018, the GW men finished runner-up behind host Navy, combining to capture five medals and break three program records at the three-day meet.
The women placed eighth out of 31 squads a year ago, highlighted by a trio of podium finishes from Emily Zhang.

WOMEN'S ENTRANTS: The group on the women's side features six first-years...Zhang picked up seven medals at her final A-10 meet, including an individual gold in the 200 free (1:48.84)...Jackie Torrez set the A-10 record in the 200 fly (1:58.37) and added a silver in the 400 IM (4:16.57)...Meghan Burton made a splash at her first conference meet, taking the 100 fly in a program-record time of 53.97 seconds...First-year Andrea Moussier won A-10 gold in the 1,650 free in a personal-best time of 16:40.96 and also made the A final of the 400 IM...Caroline Racke picked up gold as part of the 200 free and 400 free relays and scored in all three of her individual events, as well...Rebecca Smolcic earned gold in the 200 and 400 free relays and led the Colonials in the 50 free with a career-best time of 23.12 seconds...Isabela Patino scored in all three of her individual events, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the 100 fly (:54.97)...Andrea Ho earned silver with the 200 medley relay and also qualified for the A final of the 100 back (:56.28)...Isabel Berdecio posted a pair of personal-best efforts in the backstroke events, taking eighth in the 200 back (2:02.10) and ninth in the 100 back (:55.77)...Courtney Sicinski's time of 2:17.49 in the 200 breast ranks No. 2 on GW's all-time top 10...Grace Olivardia ranks sixth on GW's all-time top 10 in the 50 free after touching in 23.75 seconds at the A-10 meet.

MEN'S ENTRANTS: Eight of GW's 12 participants swam at last year's CSCAA NIC meet...Moritz Fath was named Most Outstanding Performer at the A-10 meet after winning six gold medals and setting program records in all three of his individual events...Emils Pone won six gold medals, as well, highlighted by an A-10 record swim in the 400 IM (3:47.52)...Alexander Auster won both the 50 free and 100 free, plus three relay golds. The senior's prelim time in the 100 free (:43.91) was a program record...Max Forstenhaeusler was a part of four winning relays and also earned individual silver in the 100 free (:44.10)...Josh Legge made three A finals at his first A-10 Championships, including a runner-up finish in the 1,650 free in a personal-best time of 15:23.94...Dylan Arzoni won a pair of relay golds (800 and 200 free relays) at his first A-10 meet and scored in all three of his individual events...Andrew Cho earned his first A-10 medal by taking silver behind Pone in the 200 back (1:44.34)...Tommi Wolst left his final A-10 meet with three relay golds and an individual silver in the 200 IM (1:47.53)...Patrick Lersch bounced back from a late December appendectomy to earn a gold in the 400 free relay and bronze in the 100 free (:44.61)...Youssef Ragab was part of a gold-medal swim in the 800 free relay and also qualified for the A final of both the 200 IM and 200 breast...James Torrez's time of 1:48.92 in the 200 fly ranks third on GW's all-time top 10...Kaden Schwaiger posted a trio of GW all-time top 10 swims in his A-10 debut (100 back, 200 back, 100 fly).

WATCH THIS: Hear from head coach Brian Thomas ahead of the CSCAA NIC meet.

🚐➡️ We're on the road to Cleveland for @CSCAA NICs! Head Coach @GWCoachBThom previews an excellent opportunity for our group to swim vs. national competition. #RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/pS12aq1wqN
— GW Swimming & Diving (@GWSwimDive) March 13, 2019