Robert Owen Cracks World’s Top 10, Brandon Fiala Earns First Olympic Trials Cuts at GT Qualifier

On the day after the 2015 ACC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships at the Georgia Tech Aquatics Center, the conference’s men’s teams lingered for an Olympic Trials qualifier meet in long course.

The goal of this meet is to take advantage of conference championship meet tapers to try to earn long course qualifying times, specifically times that clear the Olympic Trials standard. 7 different swimmers were successful in that goal, and in some cases that included swimmers earning their first Olympic Trials standards.

Full results available here.

Among the big winners of the day was Virginia Tech sophomore Brandon Fiala. After a successful ACC Championship meet that included a victory in the 200 IM, Fiala on Sunday earned his first Olympic Trials cuts as well. His 1:03.56 in the 100 breaststroke was just under the standard, as was his 2:04.79 in the 200 IM.

Given his improvements in short course, Fiala is a good sleeper name to watch as a potential semi-finalist in that 200 IM next year in Omaha.

His older brother CJ swam a 22.99 in the men’s 50 free, which is an Olympic Trials standard as well, but slower than the 22.96 he swam at Nationals over the summer to lock up his spot already.

Winning the 50 free, and also earning his first Olympic Trials cut, was Georgia Tech’s Andrew Kosic. He swam a 22.71 in his home course, which bettered his old personal best of 23.07 (done pre-qualifying period).

The 3rd finisher in that race, Duke’s Stefan Knight, made the most significant leap to also earn his first Olympic Trials standard. His previous best time in the 50 long course free was almost two years ago (23.86) but on Sunday, he swam a 23.29 to hit the Olympic Trials standard to the hundredth.

Virginia Tech’s Robert Owen is already qualified for the Olympic Trials in several events, but he was able to take over a second off of his best time in the 200 back with a 1:58.58. That time ranks him among the top 10 in the world in 2015, and as the 3rd-fastest American.

Other noteworthy times:

• Duke”s Michael Miller took 2nd in the men’s 100 fly in 54.48, which was under the 54.79 Olympic Trials standard. He had previously qualified for Omaha in the 200 IM.
• Virginia Tech’s Jake Ores swam a Trials qualifying standard of 3:56.38, being paced the whole way by his Polish teammate Michael Szuba (3:56.26).
• Georgia Tech’s Mark Sarman missed his Olympic Trials cut in the 100 fly initially, swimming a 54.83, but in a later time trial swam a 54.61 to get under the mark.
• Notre Dame’s Turkish national Bogac Ayhan went a new personal best of 56.43 in the 100 back.