Tigers head to Iowa for NCAA Championships

The Princeton Men’s swimming and diving team has six qualifiers for this year’s NCAA Championships in Iowa City. Senior Harrison Wagner and freshman Corey Okubo qualified in individual events, and the coaching staff selected seniors Connor Maher and Michael Strand, junior Jack Pohlmann and freshman Zach Buerger to join Wagner and Okubo as Princeton’s four relay swimmers. Princeton will be bringing twice as many swimmers to Iowa City as the next two closest Ivy League teams, Columbia and Yale.

The meet will be Wagner’s second NCAA Championship appearance after competing in the 2013 NCAA Championships. Wagner earned his spot from his performance in the 50 yard free at the Ivy League Championships. He won that event in 19.39, the 16thfastest time in the country, and also helped Princeton win four of its five relay titles at the Ivy League Championship.

While Wagner’s collegiate career will come to an end at Iowa City, Okubo’s is only just beginning. The freshman has had an incredible year, setting an Ivy League record at the Ivy League Championships and winning the 400 yard IM in 3:43.95, the 7thfastest time among freshman in the country and 23rdfastest overall.

For relays, Princeton qualified in the 200 yard free (finishing 9thin 1:17.35), the 400 yard free (16th, 2:53.04) and the 200 yard medley (11th, 1:24.95). Princeton earned provisional status in the 800 yard free (6:25.39) and the 400 yard medley (3:09.56), missing the 400 yard medley qualifying spot by one.

Maher and Strand have both been Ivy League champions in their time at Princeton, and both were crucial to Princeton’s success at DeNunzio Pool. Maher was part of all three relay qualifiers and Strand led off both winning medley relays. Pohlmann was responsible for the breast leg in both relay qualifiers and Buerger was part of the winning 800 yard free relay.

The NCAA Championships will conclude a wonderful season for Princeton, in which the Tigers reclaimed the Ivy League title with a wire-to-wire victory at Princeton’s own DeNunzio Pool. Princeton took a triple-digit lead after an incredible first day and never let up, sweeping the relays to win the Championship. Additionally, eleven Princeton swimmers earned All-Ivy League honors, and head coach Robb Orr was named Ivy League Coach of the Year after picking up his 300thcareer win this season.

The NCAA Championships will run fromMarch 26-28. Morning sessions will begin at11 a.m. CST (12 p.m. EST), and the finals will begin at7 p.m. CST.