Craig Hamilton Season 2009-10
NCAA First-Team All-American
Two-time NCAA Honorable Mention All-American
LSU Record-holder in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle
Three-time NCAA Qualifier
2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2009 FINA World Championships Participant
SENIOR SEASON (2012-13)
Departs LSU as the premiere distance swimmer in the history of LSU Swimming after breaking the program record in the mile 10 separate times in his career … Became LSU’s first NCAA First-Team All-American in the mile and the first Tiger to pick up this honor since 2006 after swimming to seventh in the event at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 14:49.12 … Captured his heat and placed fourth overall in the mile with a time of 14:53.10 at the SEC Championships … Part of LSU’s fastest all-time 800 freestyle relay squad after the quartet of Frank Greeff, Hamilton, Dillon Love and Nick Kunkel posted a time of 6:25.67 and picked up an automatic NCAA qualifying mark …. Finished sixth in the 500 free (4:19.57) at SEC’s … Cranked out LSU’s fourth fastest all-time 200 free swim of 1:36.59 in a 12th place finish at the SEC Championships … Swam to 27th in the 500 free at NCAA’s with a time of 4:19.82 … Earned an NCAA ‘B’ cut in the mile with a time of 15:11.87 in a victory over Kentucky … Also registered an NCAA provisional cut with a victory in the 500 freestyle (4:22.77) at the Phil Hansel midseason meet … Notched a first place finish in the 200 free (1:38.14) at the midseason meet … Captured the mile crown with a mark of 15:14.67 at the Phil Hansel Invite … Won the 1000 free (9:20.89) in a dual with Texas A&M … Picked up a pair of first place swims in the 1000 free (9:31.16) and in the 500 free (4:36.20) in a road win over SMU … In addition to his mile victory against the Wildcats, Hamilton also won the 500 free (4:33.26) against Kentucky during men’s senior day … Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll … Picked up his fourth varsity letter.
JUNIOR SEASON (2011-12)
Established himself as one of the nation’s top distance swimmers by dropping his mile time by over 15 seconds … Reset LSU’s record in the 500 free, 1000 free and 1650 free at the NCAA Championships … Finished 10th at the NCAA National Championships in the 1650 free (14:45.94) … Earned a bronze medal in the 1650 free (14:58.11) at the SEC Championships … Swam a 500 free mark of 4:19.12 in a 22nd place finish at NCAA’s … Posted a sixth place finish in the 500 free (4:22.01) at SEC’s … Derived his program best 1000 free time of 8:57.90 from his mile swim at the national championships … Aside from postseason swims, competed at the Tennessee Invitational and every dual meet … Took silver in the 1650 free (15:16.80) after swimming the 1500-meter free in the morning long course session at the Tennessee Invitational … Notched his career best 200 free mark of 1:38.85 in the 800 free relay at the conference meet … Swept the distance events against Texas A&M … Touched the wall first in the 1000 free against Florida … Earned his third varsity letter.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2010-11)
LSU’s best distance swimmer who emerged as one of the top underclassmen milers in the country … Earned his first career All-America honors with an honorable mention finish in the 1650 free at the NCAA Championships … Also set three new program records … Raced to 15th in the 1650 free at NCAA’s with a new school record of 15:02.32 and placed 35th in the 500 free (4:23.14) … Qualified for the national meet with a then-school-record clocking of 15:02.64 at the Bulldog Invitational while also improving his record mark in the 1000 free (9:06.59) … Swam to ninth in the mile race at SEC’s (15:14.96) and claimed 12th in the 500 free with a program record of 4:22.17 … Also competed in the 200 free at SEC’s and swam the second leg of LSU’s eighth-place 800 free relay … Swept the 200, 500 and 1650 free at the Cougar Classic Invite and recorded a personal best of 1:39.52 in the 200 free … Delivered a sweep of the distance free events at nationally-ranked Auburn and in a home victory over Incarnate Word … Topped the field in the 500 free at the Florida Atlantic Invite … Won the 200 free in a win over American … Took runner-up honors in the 500 free in a road win at Alabama and in the mile versus nationally-ranked Florida … Received his second varsity letter.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2009-10)
One of LSU’s top freshman performers who shattered two school records … Also qualified for the NCAA Championships … Competed in every dual meet, Houston’s Cougar Classic Fall Invitational, SEC Championships and NCAA’s … Raced in the 1650 and 500 free at NCAA’s … Broke school records in the 1000 free (9:10.82) and 1650 free (15:08.28) to take sixth in the mile race at SEC’s … Posted a 16th-place finish in the 500 free (4:25.88) after advancing with an NCAA provisional mark of 4:25.34, third in school history … Also placed 34th in the 200 free … Emerged victorious in the 1650 free at the Cougar Classic (15:29.79) and captured runner-up finishes in the 200 and 500 free … Named SEC Freshman of the Week after sweeping the 500 and 1000 free against defending national champion Auburn … Delivered victories in the 500 and 1000 free versus nationally-ranked Tennessee … Claimed the win in both the 500 and 1000 free against Florida State … Also took first-place in the 1000 free on the road at UNO and Florida Atlantic and at home versus UNO … Finished second in the 1000 free against Alabama and Texas A&M … Earned his first varsity letter.
PRIOR TO LSU
Proved to be one of the premier, young distance freestyle swimmers in all of Europe … One of seven swimmers to earn a spot on the prestigious British Gas Open Water team, which competed at the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome … Placed 34th in the 10K race at that competition … Also a two-time gold medalist at the 2008 UK School Games and a member of the Scottish Senior squad … Boasts top times of 1:53.18, 3:56.51 and 15:37.07 in the 200m, 400m and 1500m free, respectively … His time in the 1500m free is the eighth-fastest time for his age group in Europe for the 2009 competition season … Ranked No. 40 overall in the CollegeSwimming.com recruit rankings of 2009.
PERSONAL
Born Dec. 11, 1991 in Edinburgh, Scotland … Parents are Douglas and Elaine Hamilton … Majoring in management.
CRAIG’S TOP TIMES
200 freestyle, 1:36.59, 2013 SEC Championships
500 freestyle, 4:19.12*, 2012 NCAA Championships
1000 freestyle, 8:57.90*, 2012 NCAA Championships
1650 freestyle, 14:45.14*, 2012 NCAA Championships
* – program record
CRAIG’S TOP 2012-13 TIMES
200 freestyle, 1:36.59, SEC Championships
500 freestyle, 4:19.57, SEC Championships
1650 freestyle, 14:49.12, NCAA Championships