VT Last Chance
- March 7, 2026
- Blackburg, VA
- SCY (25 yards)
Just a week after swimming at Tennessee’s Last Chance, Virginia Tech’s Oscar Bilbao improved his NCAA chances once again, this time posting a 1:51.41 in the 200 breaststroke.
Bilbao swam a season best 1:52.45 last weekend at Tennessee, a time that would have been tied at 29th in the NCAA this season at the end of the weekend. Instead, his 1:51.41 moves him up to #17 in the NCAA this season, likely earning him an NCAA invite.
His 1:51.41 also marked a personal best for Bilbao as his previous best time was a 1 :52.31 that he swam at the 2025 Big 12 Championships while he was a member of Arizona State. Bilbao transferred to Virginia Tech this past offseason.
With Bilbao’s likely NCAA invite, he joins teammate Eli Martin who sits right ahead of Bilbao this season as Martin’s season best sits at a 1:51.10.
Also highlighting the meet was Virginia Tech’s Tanish George Matthew swam to a 19.13 in the 50 freestyle. That was a personal best for the senior. Although it was a lifetime best, the time only sits tied for 47th in the NCAA this season, meaning he probably is on the wrong side of the cutline.
Although he may not earn the individual invite, he may still make the trip to NCAAs as Virginia Tech has the ‘A’ standard in the men’s 200 free relay. His 19.13 now sits at #2 on the team so far this season.
P4 coaches are upset about the automatic qualifiers because they believe AQs are replacing “faster” swimmers from their teams. But those swimmers often have multiple opportunities throughout the season to chase times with little pressure, while AQs earn their spot when it matters most.
Not the best argument. Most of these AQs are putting up times that would not make the A final at a P4 conference championship meet. Just because these P4 swimmers aren’t winning their respective conference championship meet does not mean that they’re not “earning their spot when it matters most”, it just means they need to actually qualify on the basis that their time is one of the roughly 32 fastest in the country instead of just getting lucky that their conference is slow and a 19.4 somehow qualifies for NCAAs this year. Also you saying AQs are replacing “faster” swimmers… yes, they are literally replacing swimmers with faster times, which is why it is unfair.
Are there race videos? The splits look iffy online?
lol the psych sheets for men’s NCAAs are gonna be funny. “What do you mean ___ didn’t make it?”
The last desperate ditch effort “meets” continue to be a questionable way to qualify for the greatest show on earth.
I’m not a fan as a whole, but I can understand one. But more than 1? Come on now
Kinda said this already but imagine if there was a limit at Olympic trials in each event, and this was the same way people knocked others out of qualification. We’d be calling for change lol.