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The University of Florida has announced the addition of Lithuanian National Team Member Tomas Navikonis to the 2022-2023 signing class.
I chose the University of Florida for its amazing swimming and education program, I have admired and been a fan of Florida’s high-profile athletes on the international level and I am more than excited to be a part of this community.
Navikonis swims locally for his club, Panevėžio Žemyna-Sporto Gimnazija, while also competing under the Lithuanian flag. He primarily specializes in sprint freestyle events, while occasionally throwing in some backstroke.
Best Times SCM (Converted to SCY):
- 50 free- 22.21 (20.00)
- 100 free- 48.52 (43.71)
- 200 free- 1:46.72 (1:36.14)
- 100 back- 56.18 (50.61)
- 200 back-2:04.65 (1:52.29)
Navikonis is a 2021 European Junior Swimming Championship Finalist. In the 100 meter freestyle, he finished 8th overall with a time of 50.27 (LCM). This was just shy of his personal best of 50.03, which he set in semifinals. Navikonis also competed in the 50 free (36th), the 200 free (26th), and as member of Lithuania’s 400 medley (13th) and 400 free (8th) relays. When leading off the 400 free relay, he posted a 50.02, shaving off one more one-hundredth from his individual performance.
Navikonis also competed for Lithuania in multiple stops of the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup (SCM). In Budapest, he swam the 50 free (29th), 100 free (18th), and 200 free (14th), earning personal bests in each. A few weeks later in Kazan, he had the same schedule and once again dropped time in each event.
In the 50, he dropped .26 from his time in Budapest, earning 22nd place. He finished 19th in the 100 with a 48.52, .53 seconds faster than Budapest. He improved his time in the 200 free by 1.41 seconds, coming in 13th place.
Florida is currently a men’s swimming powerhouse, particularly in the freestyle events. They finished first at the 2022 SEC’s and third at the 2022 NCAA Championships. The 2022-2023 season with be head coach Anthony Nesty’s 5th season as head coach of the Gators.
Using his converted times and the results from 2022, Navikonis would have placed 22nd in the 50, 24th in the 100, and 30th in the 200 at SECs.
With his commitment, Navikonis joins a group of 16 athletes who previously committed to Florida in the fall. One of these athletes is fellow Lithuanian National Team member Alecksas Savickas, a breastroker from the same club as Navikonis.
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Jack has retired !!!!(georgia)