The most recent update to the men’s NCAA championship psych sheet revealed that the Texas Longhorns have decided to scratch sophomore breaststroker, Imri Ganiel, to make room for their three qualified divers.
The Longhorns received the most invites of any male team for the 2015 NCAA Championships with 17 swimmers. At the zone championships, Cory Bowersox, Will Chandler, and Mark Anderson also qualified to dive in Iowa. With the NCAA roster limit set at 18, they either had to drop a swimmer or leave one of their divers behind. They will need all three divers to stay competitive with USC, who is the favorite to win the meet before diving, and then qualified 4 male divers for the meet. Ganiel was invited to the meet for his 26th seeded 52.88 100 breaststroke. He was also entered in the 200 breaststroke with a B cut time of 1:57.45.
With Ganiel out of the meet, two breaststrokers remain on the team for Texas. Freshman Austin Temple is seeded 20th in the 100 breaststroke with his time of 52.71, and they also have Will Licon. Licon had one of the best NCAA meets out of everyone competing last year, and he has developed into one of the stars for Texas over the last two years. He is not entered in the 100 breaststroke, but he could be a weapon for the Longhorns on the relays. At the Big 12 Championships, he split a 51.5 from a relay start.
With Ganiel’s scratch, Stanford Ryan Arata has been invited to the meet. He was the first alternate with his time of 1:42.02 in the 200 backstroke. He will also be able to swim the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly with B cut times in both events. He is the 13th swimmer invited for Stanford. In addition to their 13 swimmers, they will also have Kristian Ipsen and Bradley Chirstensen diving for them.
Louisville’s Aaron Young is now the first alternate for the meet.
Updated List Of Swimmers Invited By Team
Updated List of Official Alternates
I’m more outraged that the picture used in this story shows the legion of the tree! Outraged, I say!
Good thing Michael Hixon isn’t still diving for Texas…think of the outrage if we brought the same 16 swimmers and 4 divers who score.
This happened in 2002. Texas had 16 swimmers and 4 divers. Extra two divers scored 15 points. Texas won by 11
I have no problem with Longhorn divers counting half a swimmer – for example Clark Smith is half size bigger than any of divers. it is just fair then.
No seriously, I would love nothing more than Horns beating Cal by 1 point and last relay deciding. Some would not like it because of diving points, but I would lose very little of my sleep because of that.
While I know many would like diving separate completely, I think most would be satisfied if the scoring was changed. Either make 1 diver the same roster spot as 1 swimmer or make the scoring for divers 1/2 of swimmers. This is the fair and right thing to do. It needs to happen and happen soon
If I’ve said it twice I’ve said it two times. As a swimmer I hated losing meets because of diving (Ball State) and I didn’t feel right winning meets because of diving.
Inside sources confirm that while not be taken sucks, Imri Ganiel realizes that the divers have great potential to score.
Track and field anyone?
Everything in track & field is related. Not sure why you think they are not. The decathlon winner of the Olympics is labeled “the worlds greatest athlete. Field events are combined with running events in this competition. The biggest gripe about diving being with swimming is diving scoring is subjective. Field events in track are quantified – a tape measure determines the winner. Diving is too subjective with its scoring. Different judges watching the same diving at the same time have different scores for what they saw. This is wrong. Finally, an athlete is an athlete; divers should count as a full person period against the cap. Diving counting as 1/2 to 1/3 of a person is sort of like… Read more »
Can someone please explain to me why swimming and diving are lumped into the same competition? Because there is water involved in both? Hey, while we are at it, let’s combine soccer and football too. After all, they are both played on grass fields, right?
Agree with g-olden bear above.
More evidence the NCAA stinks.
Oh- allow pros to compete too. Just thought I would throw that in too for good measure.
A wise man once told me combining swimming and Diving is like combining basketball and gymnastics.