Three Reach NCAA Men’s Championships
March 07, 2018 12:59 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Junior Jake Armstrong, redshirt junior Tristen Di Sibio and freshman David Dixon of the West Virginia University men's swimming and diving team have qualified for the 2018 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, as announced on Wednesday.
NCAA Release
Armstrong and Di Sibio qualified for the 100 breaststroke, while Dixon will swim in the 200 butterfly. The three become the first Mountaineer men to qualify for the national meet since Andrew Marsh in 2016.
Additionally, Armstrong and Di Sibio will compete in the 200 breaststroke, and Dixon will participate in the 200 and 400 individual medleys after the trio posted NCAA 'B' cut times in the events during the 2017-18 season.
The championships commence from March 21-24, at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"One of our goals this year was to get both teams back to NCAAs," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "With Jake, David and Tristen being invited, we have done that. Each have done a great job, and this is well-deserved. This is a huge step in the right direction for the men's program. We'll get to work and are honored to represent WVU and the state of West Virginia at NCAAs in a few weeks."
Armstrong, Di Sibio and Dixon join sophomore Morgan Bullock and junior Emma Harris from the WVU women's team as national qualifiers, marking the first time the Mountaineers will be represented at both NCAA meets in the same year since 2011. The invitees for the 2018 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships were announced on Feb. 28, with the meet set for March 14-17, in Columbus, Ohio.
Armstrong successfully defended his Big 12 100 breaststroke title at the conference championship on Feb. 23, in Austin, Texas. The Dover, Ohio, native earned a school-record time of 52.11 in the preliminary round before touching the wall first in a time of 52.59 in the final to earn the gold medal. In all, he won one goal, two silver and one bronze medal at the four-day meet.
Armstrong enters the NCAA Championships ranked ninth nationally in the 100 breaststroke.
Di Sibio registered a time of 52.75 in the 100 breaststroke finals at the Big 12 Championship, earning a spot in the national meet. The Lantana, Texas, native finished in second place behind Armstrong in the event. He also registered a gold-medal performance at the Big 12 Championship, as he won the 200 breaststroke title on Feb. 24, in a time of 1:56.00.
He enters the national meet sitting in the No. 28 position in the 100 breaststroke.
Dixon took down the 200 butterfly school record twice at the Big 12 Championship on Feb. 24. He finished in 1:42.50 in the final, good for a silver medal. The time topped his previous school record of 1:43.60, which Dixon set during prelims. The Richmond, Virginia, native, who won a total of three silver medals at the conference meet, travels to the NCAAs seeded No. 27 in the event.
WVU combined to set 14 school records at the Big 12 Championship, as the men's and women's squads each earned second-place team finishes.
Competition at the NCAA Men's Championships begins on March 21, and continues throughout the weekend.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
NCAA Release
Armstrong and Di Sibio qualified for the 100 breaststroke, while Dixon will swim in the 200 butterfly. The three become the first Mountaineer men to qualify for the national meet since Andrew Marsh in 2016.
Additionally, Armstrong and Di Sibio will compete in the 200 breaststroke, and Dixon will participate in the 200 and 400 individual medleys after the trio posted NCAA 'B' cut times in the events during the 2017-18 season.
The championships commence from March 21-24, at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"One of our goals this year was to get both teams back to NCAAs," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "With Jake, David and Tristen being invited, we have done that. Each have done a great job, and this is well-deserved. This is a huge step in the right direction for the men's program. We'll get to work and are honored to represent WVU and the state of West Virginia at NCAAs in a few weeks."
Armstrong, Di Sibio and Dixon join sophomore Morgan Bullock and junior Emma Harris from the WVU women's team as national qualifiers, marking the first time the Mountaineers will be represented at both NCAA meets in the same year since 2011. The invitees for the 2018 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships were announced on Feb. 28, with the meet set for March 14-17, in Columbus, Ohio.
Armstrong successfully defended his Big 12 100 breaststroke title at the conference championship on Feb. 23, in Austin, Texas. The Dover, Ohio, native earned a school-record time of 52.11 in the preliminary round before touching the wall first in a time of 52.59 in the final to earn the gold medal. In all, he won one goal, two silver and one bronze medal at the four-day meet.
Armstrong enters the NCAA Championships ranked ninth nationally in the 100 breaststroke.
Di Sibio registered a time of 52.75 in the 100 breaststroke finals at the Big 12 Championship, earning a spot in the national meet. The Lantana, Texas, native finished in second place behind Armstrong in the event. He also registered a gold-medal performance at the Big 12 Championship, as he won the 200 breaststroke title on Feb. 24, in a time of 1:56.00.
He enters the national meet sitting in the No. 28 position in the 100 breaststroke.
Dixon took down the 200 butterfly school record twice at the Big 12 Championship on Feb. 24. He finished in 1:42.50 in the final, good for a silver medal. The time topped his previous school record of 1:43.60, which Dixon set during prelims. The Richmond, Virginia, native, who won a total of three silver medals at the conference meet, travels to the NCAAs seeded No. 27 in the event.
WVU combined to set 14 school records at the Big 12 Championship, as the men's and women's squads each earned second-place team finishes.
Competition at the NCAA Men's Championships begins on March 21, and continues throughout the weekend.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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