Four members of the U swimming team are in Minneapolis, Minn., to compete in the Phillips 66 U.S. National Championships today through Saturday.
Freshmen Evan Castro and Cody Rempfer represent the men, and freshman Tessa Greegor and sophomore Neringa Statkeviciute will represent the women at Nationals.
Castro and Greegor will compete in the 100-meter breaststroke, Rempfer will compete in the 200 fly and the 200 individual medley, while Statkeviciute will compete in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and the 200 freestyle.
Being invited to the U.S. National Championships was a great accomplishment for the swim team, especially after the U women finished fourth at the Mountain West Conference Championships and the men took fifth in Oklahoma City, Okla., earlier this month.
Greegor holds the school record in the 100 breaststroke with a 1-minute, 2.98-second time. Statkeviciute holds the school record in the 200 freestyle, at 1:46.69. Rempfer holds the fourth-best time in Utah history in the 200 fly, at 1:49.17, and ninth-best time in the 200 IM, at 1:52.05. Castro holds the third-best time in the 100 breaststroke with a 56.16 time.
U coach Mike Litzinger recognizes the importance of this accomplishment by some of the team’s the younger squad members.
“This is a tremendous meet for our swimmers to attend,” he said. “It is of invaluable experience, and certainly the next step in terms of putting Utah on the map nationally.”
Litzinger was honored with the MWC Women’s Coach of the Year in only his second season with the reins.