After record-setting freshman campaigns, Bence Kiraly and Kristian Kron of the University of Utah swimming and diving team have been selected to represent their respective countries of Hungary and Sweden at the 27th World University Games in Kazan, Russia between July 6-17.
“I am very excited for Bence and Kristian to have qualified for the World University Games,” Head Swimming and Diving Coach Joe Dykstra said. “Representing your country in international competition is one of the greatest honors in swimming and the experience they will gain in Russia this summer will help prepare them to achieve new levels of success in the NCAA. It also puts them in a position to challenge for making their Olympic teams in 2016. It’s great to have multiple Utes competing on the international stage!”
During their freshmen campaigns, Kiraly and Kron tore up the Ute record books.
Kiraly reset Shawn Rowland’s 24-year-old 500 freestyle record with a time of 4:23.22 and Kron reset school marks in the 200 IM (1:46.80), 400 IM (3:48.01) and 200 backstroke (1:42.96). Kron also represented the Utes at the NCAA Championships, helping the team to a 33rd-place showing. He also represented his native Sweden at the World Short Course Championships in Istanbul, Turkey last December.
On the boards, senior Kersten Merry recently competed at Canadian Nationals, where she finished 10th on the 1 and 3-meter springboard events, barely missing the opportunity to join her Ute teammates in Russia as a member of the Canadian team at the World University Games.
“It was good for Kersten to get some high-level competition experience at this point during the summer,” Diving Coach Richard Marschner said. “It gives us a good gauge as to what we need to work on to be ready for the season on day one. This meet served as a great motivating tool because we know how good Kersten can be and while the results were good, we know that she has a lot better performances ahead of her.”
Known as the Universiade, the international multi-sport event is organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The first games were held in 1959 in Turin, Italy, and are held every two years. One of the largest multi-sport events in the world, the event serves as a stepping stone towards the Olympic Games.
This is an unedited press release.
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