Following the completion of another successful season in 2012, nine of Emory University's swimmers have turned their attention towards qualifying for the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska in late June, including senior Claire Pavlak, who has already recorded a trial-qualifying cut.
Pavlak became the first swimmer in the program's history to qualify for the Olympic Trials, making the cut in the 50-meter freestyle after swimming a time of 26.29 seconds following the NCAA Division III Championships in late March. Pavlak, a nine-time National Champion and 20-time all-American at Emory, will continue to train with the Eagles for the Olympic Trial Meet in Omaha, which starts on Monday, June 25th.
The other eight Emory swimmers – senior Patrick Augustyn, sophomore Jake Stephens, junior Miller Douglas, sophomore Ryan Bass, junior Renee Rosenkranz, junior Anna Dobben, sophomore Sadie Nennig and junior Leslie Hackler – are training for a long-course meet at Auburn University in June, with the intention of reaching Olympic trial cuts in their individual events.
Although the qualifying times for the trials must be made in long course meters, the times made by all of Emory's Olympic hopefuls are within range of the trial cuts when converted from short course yards, used during the NCAA season.
Swimmers selected to the Olympic Team at the trial in Omaha will represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
The Emory University women finished the 2012 season with their third-consecutive NCAA Division III Championship, while the men finished third in the nation. The two squads combined for three individual National Championships and three relay National Titles, while claiming a total of 43 all-America finishes.