Huerta Reflects on Experience at World Championships

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Members of the West Virginia University men's and women's swimming and diving teams have stayed busy this summer, but perhaps no one has covered more distance than sophomore Fausto Huerta.

The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native has competed around the world in just a few short months, providing unforgettable experiences and lessons for the future. Most notably, Huerta swam at last week's 2019 International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea, going stroke-for-stroke with some of the best swimmers on the planet.

The trip to Korea was a valuable one for Huerta, who placed 50th in the 200 individual medley (2:13:64) on July 24 and 63rd in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.65) on July 21. From the pre-meet training to arriving in a foreign land, Huerta says he felt he was a part of something special. Getting the chance to represent the Dominican Republic at the meet only added to his sense of pride.

"Being able to represent my home country on one of the biggest stages out there feels amazing," Huerta said. "It makes me feel that all the hard work pays off every time."

Huerta earned his way onto the Dominican National Team in April, when he finished second in the 100 breast at the 2019 Dominican Swimming Federation (FEDONA) National Swimming Championship in Santo Domingo. He previously competed for his homeland at the 2018 Caribbean Games and the 2017 FINA World Junior Championships, meaning his trip to Worlds only added to his growing list of international accomplishments.

To get to the prestigious event, however, Huerta had to endure quite a journey. His more-than-14-hour flight halfway across the world was greeted by a 13-hour time difference, not to mention plenty of new food to try. Huerta, though, reports he was able to conquer all those challenges and properly focus on his events in the pool.

Upon returning to Morgantown, Huerta's big summer should only propel him towards big things in the coming years for the Mountaineers. After all, training and competing against elite-level swimmers can only help in his development. In fact, Huerta says he's excited to take the momentum he has built for himself and harness it heading into the new season.

"This opportunity will help me better understand what level I should be training at and how hard I need to push myself to be better," Huerta said. "I can't wait to be back in the water at WVU and train harder than ever."

WVU coach Vic Riggs is proud of what Huerta has been able to accomplish this summer, too. The 14th-year coach believes this unique experience was important for Huerta to realize what he's been able to accomplish in just one year on campus, as well as how much more the world of swimming has to offer.

"It was a great honor for Fausto to represent his country and the Flying WV at the international level," Riggs said. "We're proud of his accomplishments at the World Championships and look forward to an exciting sophomore season from him."

Elsewhere, other Mountaineers have been training hard for other prestigious long-course meets. This week, seniors Morgan Bullock and Julia Nilton and junior David Dixon are set to compete at the 2019 Phillips 66 U.S. National Championships, from July 31-Aug. 4, in Stanford, California, while junior Giselle Gursoy readies herself for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, this August.

WVU also will be well-represented at the Futures Championships, from Aug. 1-4, in Geneva, Ohio, before the entire squad returns to school for the upcoming fall semester.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Morgan Bullock

David Dixon

Giselle Gursoy

Fausto Huerta

Julia Nilton

Footer

Upcoming Events