Armstrong, Dixon Begin NCAA Men’s Championships
March 27, 2019 11:32 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior Jake Armstrong and sophomore David Dixon of the West Virginia University men's swimming and diving team travel to the 2019 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, from March 28-30, at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, in Austin, Texas.
Armstrong qualified for the national meet in the 100 breaststroke, where he earned a top time of 52.35 at the 2019 Big 12 Championship. The mark is good for No. 25 nationally entering the event.
Dixon qualified No. 28 in the 200 butterfly with a season-best and school-record time of 1:42.15 from the conference meet. The Richmond, Virginia, native also will compete in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley after earning NCAA 'B' cut times in the events during the 2018-19 season.
ESPN will provide live coverage for each night's finals session on ESPN3. Preliminary sessions will be available for live streaming at texassports.com. Preliminaries for all three days are set to begin at 11 a.m. ET, with finals sessions scheduled for 7 p.m.
Fans also can follow along with the meet's live results, courtesy of sidearmsports.com.
"We're very excited to have Jake and David represent us at this meet," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "They have done a good job in training for the past month, and they seem ready to go. We're looking forward to seeing them race."
Dixon begins his second career NCAA Championships with the 200 IM on Thursday. After competing in the 100 fly on Friday, he'll race in the 200 fly on Saturday. Armstrong, who also is competing in his second national meet, will swim in the 100 breast on Friday.
Armstrong and Dixon are among 235 swimmers and 35 divers who are competing at this year's national meet. The duo becomes the Mountaineers' first men to qualify for the NCAA Championships in back-to-back seasons since Andrew Marsh (2015-16).
This season, Armstrong earned three silver medals at the Big 12 Championship, from Feb. 27-March 2, in Austin. Along with helping the 200 and 400 medley relay teams to second-place finishes, the Dover, Ohio, native also placed second in the 100 breast in a time of 52.35.
Previously, Armstrong won Big 12 titles in the 100 breast in 2017 and 2018.
Dixon is coming off a conference meet in which he won a pair of Big 12 individual championships. First, he won the 100 fly title after touching the wall in 46.73. Dixon won his second gold medal a night later, winning the 200 fly with his school-record performance of 1:42.15.
He also helped the 400 medley relay team to a second-place finish at the Big 12 meet.
With his two victories, Dixon joined Armstrong by becoming one of five multiple-time Big 12 champions in program history, and he became WVU's first two-time champion in the same season since Tim Squires in 2014.
At last year's NCAA Men's Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Armstrong tied for 14th place in the 100 breast in a time of 52.69, earning honorable mention All-America honors. He became WVU's first men's All-American since Bryce Bohman in 2014.
Armstrong also placed 46th in the 200 breast (1:58.66) at the NCAA meet last season.
Dixon earned a 22nd-place finish in the 200 fly (1:43.02) in Minneapolis last year, as well as a 41st-place finish in the 400 IM (3:52.21) and 42nd-place finish in the 200 IM (1:46.44).
Last week, junior Morgan Bullock of the women's team competed at the 2019 NCAA Women's Championships, from March 21-23, in Austin. She placed 29th in the 200 fly with a time of 1:56.37, 54th in the 200 IM in 1:59.92 and 57th in the 100 fly in 54.86.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Armstrong qualified for the national meet in the 100 breaststroke, where he earned a top time of 52.35 at the 2019 Big 12 Championship. The mark is good for No. 25 nationally entering the event.
Dixon qualified No. 28 in the 200 butterfly with a season-best and school-record time of 1:42.15 from the conference meet. The Richmond, Virginia, native also will compete in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley after earning NCAA 'B' cut times in the events during the 2018-19 season.
ESPN will provide live coverage for each night's finals session on ESPN3. Preliminary sessions will be available for live streaming at texassports.com. Preliminaries for all three days are set to begin at 11 a.m. ET, with finals sessions scheduled for 7 p.m.
Fans also can follow along with the meet's live results, courtesy of sidearmsports.com.
"We're very excited to have Jake and David represent us at this meet," WVU coach Vic Riggs said. "They have done a good job in training for the past month, and they seem ready to go. We're looking forward to seeing them race."
Dixon begins his second career NCAA Championships with the 200 IM on Thursday. After competing in the 100 fly on Friday, he'll race in the 200 fly on Saturday. Armstrong, who also is competing in his second national meet, will swim in the 100 breast on Friday.
Armstrong and Dixon are among 235 swimmers and 35 divers who are competing at this year's national meet. The duo becomes the Mountaineers' first men to qualify for the NCAA Championships in back-to-back seasons since Andrew Marsh (2015-16).
This season, Armstrong earned three silver medals at the Big 12 Championship, from Feb. 27-March 2, in Austin. Along with helping the 200 and 400 medley relay teams to second-place finishes, the Dover, Ohio, native also placed second in the 100 breast in a time of 52.35.
Previously, Armstrong won Big 12 titles in the 100 breast in 2017 and 2018.
Dixon is coming off a conference meet in which he won a pair of Big 12 individual championships. First, he won the 100 fly title after touching the wall in 46.73. Dixon won his second gold medal a night later, winning the 200 fly with his school-record performance of 1:42.15.
He also helped the 400 medley relay team to a second-place finish at the Big 12 meet.
With his two victories, Dixon joined Armstrong by becoming one of five multiple-time Big 12 champions in program history, and he became WVU's first two-time champion in the same season since Tim Squires in 2014.
At last year's NCAA Men's Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Armstrong tied for 14th place in the 100 breast in a time of 52.69, earning honorable mention All-America honors. He became WVU's first men's All-American since Bryce Bohman in 2014.
Armstrong also placed 46th in the 200 breast (1:58.66) at the NCAA meet last season.
Dixon earned a 22nd-place finish in the 200 fly (1:43.02) in Minneapolis last year, as well as a 41st-place finish in the 400 IM (3:52.21) and 42nd-place finish in the 200 IM (1:46.44).
Last week, junior Morgan Bullock of the women's team competed at the 2019 NCAA Women's Championships, from March 21-23, in Austin. She placed 29th in the 200 fly with a time of 1:56.37, 54th in the 200 IM in 1:59.92 and 57th in the 100 fly in 54.86.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Breast
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Fly/Breast
/ Men's Swimming & DivingSWIM: Paper Airplane Competition
Wednesday, February 11
SWIM: Villanova/Duquesne Recap
Monday, January 26
SWIM: 50 Freestyle Race with a Twist
Wednesday, December 10
SWIM: Loyola (Md.) Recap
Wednesday, November 05
