COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five swimmers from the 19th-ranked LSU swimming and diving team are set to compete at the 2010 NCAA Championships, which will be held Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
Senior Sean LeNeave, juniors Hannes Heyl and James Meyers and freshmen Andrei Tuomola and Craig Hamilton will represent the men’s squad at the national meet. The men’s contingent is expected to race in four relays and seven individual events.
The prelim session will begin each day at 11 a.m. (CDT) with the finals following at 6 p.m. A link to live results and streaming video can be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.
“I’m excited to see what the men can do at their NCAA Championships,” LSU head coach Adam Schmitt said. “I think we can definitely make an impact based on where we are seeded in several relays and individual events. We are looking to improve from last year’s finish and continue moving up the national ranks.”
LSU will have the chance to rack up numerous points in relay competition with three seeded squads going into the meet. The men’s 200 medley relay, which placed third at SEC’s with a school-record mark of 1 minute, 26.00 seconds, is seeded ninth, while the team’s 200 free and 400 medley relays are both seeded 14th.
LeNeave, a three-time All-American in relay competition a year ago, will swim on the 200 and 400 free relays and anchor both medley relays. In addition, he earned the chance to compete in the 50 free with his ‘B’ cut mark of 20.25.
Heyl, a four-time All-American in the past two seasons, is making his third trip to NCAA’s. The German will take the butterfly leg on the medley relays and play a pivotal role on both free relays, while also competing individually in the 100 fly, 100 backstroke and 100 free.
Meyers, Tuomola and Hamilton are making their first NCAA appearance. Meyer’s the team’s fastest sprint backstroker, will lead off the medley relays, race in the 100 back and swim on the 200 and 400 free relays. Tuomola will be the squad’s breaststroker on medley relays in addition to racing on the free relays and individually in the 50 and 100 free and 100 breast.
Hamilton qualified based on his school-record time of 15:08.28 in the 1650 free and will also compete in the 500 free.
2010 NCAA Men’s Championships
March 25-27 – McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion – Columbus, Ohio
Schedule of Events
Thursday, March 25
200 Freestyle Relay (LSU)
500 Freestyle (Hamilton)
200 Individual Medley
50 Freestyle (Tuomola, LeNeave)
One-meter Diving
400 Medley Relay (LSU)
Friday, March 26
200 Medley Relay (LSU)
400 Individual Medley
100 Butterfly (Heyl)
200 Freestyle
100 Breaststroke (Tuomola)
100 Backstroke (Meyers, Heyl)
Three-meter Diving
800 Freestyle Relay
Saturday, March 27
1650 Freestyle (Hamilton)
200 Backstroke
100 Freestyle (Tuomola, Heyl)
200 Breaststroke
200 Butterfly
Platform Diving
400 Freestyle Relay (LSU)