George Washington University Athletics
Matic Invited to NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships
3/9/2022 10:20:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Swimmer to compete in 100 fly, 200 fly & 50 free at national meet
WASHINGTON - George Washington's Djurdje Matic has been invited to continue his season at the NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships later this month in Atlanta.
Matic earned his spot on the national stage on the strength of his Atlantic 10-record swim of 45.52 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly at Georgia's Bulldog Invitational Last Chance Meet on Feb. 26.
The Belgrade, Serbia, native achieved four NCAA B-cut individual times as part of a shining performance at the A-10 Championships, helping the Buff and Blue capture their second consecutive title and fifth in six seasons.
Matic heads into the national meet ranked 28th among the decorated field in the 100 fly, as well as 38th in the 200 fly (1:45.17) and 46th in the 50 free (19.56). He's the conference record holder in all three events.
It's the fourth time in the last seven years and sixth time overall that GW will send a representative to the men's national championships. The Buff and Blue are among 45 programs who will be represented at the meet among the 235 invited swimmers.
Back in the fall, the redshirt sophomore swimmer showed that he belonged among the nation's best when he smashed the A-10 record in the 100 fly (:45.72) at Princeton's Big Al Invitational and later broke a pool record at Navy's Lejeune Hall that had belonged to Olympic legend Michael Phelps.
Matic backed up that excellence at the A-10 Championships, winning seven total gold medals over four days while setting conference records in the 200 fly and 50 free and a meet record in the 100 fly. He ultimately secured his place at the national meet a week later when he dropped two-tenths of a second off his record 100 fly time at Georgia's last-chance meet.
Heading to Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center for his NCAA debut, Matic joins Gustav Hokfelt (2018), Andrea Bolognesi (2016, 2017), Alvaro Fortuny (2001) and Tim Champney (1999) on the list of Buff and Blue men to advance to the national meet.
The NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships open on Wednesday, March 23, with Matic's first event, the 50 free, contested a day later. He'll follow that up with the 100 fly that Friday and the 200 fly on Saturday.
The top 16 performers in the preliminary round of each event will advance to finals with the top eight finishers earning First Team All-America honors and the consolation finalists landing Second Team All-America recognition.
Matic earned his spot on the national stage on the strength of his Atlantic 10-record swim of 45.52 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly at Georgia's Bulldog Invitational Last Chance Meet on Feb. 26.
The Belgrade, Serbia, native achieved four NCAA B-cut individual times as part of a shining performance at the A-10 Championships, helping the Buff and Blue capture their second consecutive title and fifth in six seasons.
Matic heads into the national meet ranked 28th among the decorated field in the 100 fly, as well as 38th in the 200 fly (1:45.17) and 46th in the 50 free (19.56). He's the conference record holder in all three events.
It's the fourth time in the last seven years and sixth time overall that GW will send a representative to the men's national championships. The Buff and Blue are among 45 programs who will be represented at the meet among the 235 invited swimmers.
A transfer via East Carolina, Matic has been tremendous in his first season in Foggy Bottom."It really means a lot to me. It means that all the work we did paid off."
— GW Swimming & Diving (@GWSwimDive) March 9, 2022
Djurdje Matic and @GWCoachBThom react to the swimmer's NCAA Championships invitation.#RaiseHigh pic.twitter.com/odGs2Tfdmy
Back in the fall, the redshirt sophomore swimmer showed that he belonged among the nation's best when he smashed the A-10 record in the 100 fly (:45.72) at Princeton's Big Al Invitational and later broke a pool record at Navy's Lejeune Hall that had belonged to Olympic legend Michael Phelps.
Matic backed up that excellence at the A-10 Championships, winning seven total gold medals over four days while setting conference records in the 200 fly and 50 free and a meet record in the 100 fly. He ultimately secured his place at the national meet a week later when he dropped two-tenths of a second off his record 100 fly time at Georgia's last-chance meet.
Heading to Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center for his NCAA debut, Matic joins Gustav Hokfelt (2018), Andrea Bolognesi (2016, 2017), Alvaro Fortuny (2001) and Tim Champney (1999) on the list of Buff and Blue men to advance to the national meet.
The NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships open on Wednesday, March 23, with Matic's first event, the 50 free, contested a day later. He'll follow that up with the 100 fly that Friday and the 200 fly on Saturday.
The top 16 performers in the preliminary round of each event will advance to finals with the top eight finishers earning First Team All-America honors and the consolation finalists landing Second Team All-America recognition.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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