Harvard Out, 4 Men’s Alternates Added For 2020 D-I NCAAs; No Texas Cuts Yet

2020 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Wednesday, March 25 – Saturday, March 28, 2020
  • IU Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
  • Prelims 10 AM/ Finals 6 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
  • SCY Format
  • Defending champs: Cal (1x) – results
  • Championship Central
  • Live Stream
  • Psych Sheets (updated 3/12)
  • Live results

Harvard’s four qualifiers no longer appear on NCAA psych sheets, and four alternates have been added in their place – two of them from Stanford.

The Ivy League canceled all spring sports, part of a wave of cancellations as the 2019 novel coronavirus and its associated COVID-19 illness has spread across the globe. The Ivy League didn’t blanket-ban winter sports still competing, but left those decisions up to individual schools. Harvard – which led all Ivy League schools with four men’s swimmers invited to NCAAs – announced that it would cancel all winter postseason play.

True to that statement, Harvard’s four male swimmers no longer appear on NCAA psych sheets, and three more alternates have been called up in their places. Here are the scratches and additions, along with their seeds in each event:

Out of NCAAs:

  • William Grant, Harvard freshman – 200 IM (61st), 100 back (37th), 200 back (28th)
  • Umitcan Gures, Harvard sophomore – 50 free (34th), 100 fly (7th), 200 fly (35th)
  • Jacob Johnson, Harvard sophomore – 200 IM (60th), 100 fly (44th), 200 fly (23rd)
  • Michael Zarian, Harvard junior – 200 IM (36th), 400 IM (17th), 200 back (42nd)

Into NCAAs:

  • Braga Verhage, Tennessee senior – 50 free (43rd), 100 fly (29th), 100 back (42nd)
  • Ryan Baker, Virginia senior – 50 free (36th), 200 free (30th), 100 free (35th)
  • Benjamin Ho, Stanford senior – 200 IM (48th), 100 back (32nd), 200 back (29th)
  • Alex Liang, Stanford junior – 200 IM (32nd), 400 IM (29th), 200 fly (29th)

Texas is still listed with 18 qualifiers, but based on coach Eddie Reese‘s comments, they’re expected to cut two swimmers to take four of their five qualified divers. That means two more from the updated alternates list should still be in line to get late invites.

Updated documents:

New Alternates List:

  1. Mason Wilby, Kentucky (200 fly)
  2. Dimitrios Dimitriou, UNC (500 free)
  3. Mike Thibert, Texas A&M (50 free)
  4. Samuel Disette, Alabama (50 free)
  5. Ethan Sanders, Tennessee (1650 free)
  6. Kane Follows, Hawaii (200 back)

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Covid sucks
4 years ago

The Harvard kids essentially lose a chance to go faster. Destroying kids dreams

Back2Back
4 years ago

I think the meet will happen. Who will actually sit up in the stands appears to be up in the air…

Admin
Reply to  Back2Back
4 years ago

I want it to happen, but with Duke and Kansas pulling out of basketball, that will be cancelled, and when that’s cancelled, everything is cancelled.

Back2Back
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Swimmers are tougher than basketball players – we train and compete in chlorine/bromine environments…;-)

Back2Back
Reply to  Back2Back
4 years ago

Again, if it doesn’t happen – I will be on point for organizing a CAL TEX Championship Format Dual Meet at a site to be determined. My only pre-requisite is all qualified swimmers and divers compete for their teams with no roster limit as long as they have NCAA cuts.

PsychoDad
Reply to  Back2Back
4 years ago
Back2Back
Reply to  PsychoDad
4 years ago

OK so we go to a neutral site pool willing to host – even outdoors if necessary as spring has arrived in Texas and no self-respecting COVID-19 wants to MESS WITH TEXAS heat!!!

Austinpoolboy
4 years ago

Someone else suggested that if meet gets cancelled that Cal & Texas hold a dual meet. Maybe also invite Florida & A&M so Kieren & Casas can swim

meeeee
4 years ago

The meet in all likelihood will not happen.

AJW
4 years ago

Duke just suspended all competition, so at least one more alternate added right?

Not Miles Williams
Reply to  AJW
4 years ago

Actually I heard Miles Williams is still going

Concerned Dad
Reply to  Not Miles Williams
4 years ago

Bummer. Was really looking forward to him winning the 100 freestyle.

PsychoDad
4 years ago

I don’t think Eddie will cut swimmers until the moment he must do the cut and/or until he knows the meet will happen for sure. If it gets canceled before the cut, then nobody’s feelings will be hurt.

Worried boi
4 years ago

With all the recent closures of sporting events. I don’t see this meet happening unfortunately.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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