Swimming & Diving: Cavalier men wrap up competition at NCAA Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia men’s swimming & diving team finished 15th overall at the 2023 NCAA Championships, which concluded on Saturday at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.

Senior Josh Fong picked up honorable mention All-America honors on the final night of competition, finishing 14th (1:42.75) in the 200-yard butterfly. Fong swam a personal-best time of 1:41.92 in prelims, marking the third fastest time in UVA history.

In the final relay of the event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Virginia finished 13th with a time of 2:49.53. UVA’s relay team included Matt Brownstead, sophomore Jack Aikins, sophomore Connor Boyle and senior August Lamb.

The Cavaliers totaled 78 points for the 15th-place finish.

IN PRELIMS

• Aikins finished 25th in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing with a time of 1:41.45.
• Brownstead was 25th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 42.24 and sophomore Tim Connery was 55th in 44.32.
• Junior Noah Nichols clocked in with a time of 1:53.81 to finish 28th in the 200-yard breaststroke.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

The Virginia men’s swimming & diving team closed out night three with a 10-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay. Brownstead, Nichols, Connery and Aikins, respectively, clocked a time of 3:03.50, the second-fastest time in school history in the event.

IN PRELIMS

• Nichols just missed qualifying for the finals of the 100-yard breaststroke. Nichols placed 17th, serving as the first alternate, with a time of 51.67. Nichols swam a 50.75 split in the 400-yard medley relay.
• Connery was 25th in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 45.60 and swam a 45.33 split in the 400-yard medley relay.
• Senior Josh Fong was 35th in the 100-yard butterfly with a personal-best time of 46.32.
• Brownstead finished 21st in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking in with a time of 45.67. Brownstead later swam a 45.64 to lead off the 400-yard medley relay.
• Aikins finished 32nd in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 46.21.
• Senior August Lamb was 44th in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 53.25.