ATLANTA, Ga. – Old Dominion University swimming and diving competed in its first ever Conference USA swimming and diving championships over the weekend, and came back with several record-breaking performances.
Senior Sidni Hoxha continued to lead the way as the native of Albania won the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle races. In the 50-free, Hoxha set a school and meet record with a time of 19.41 to record an NCAA B-cut time. Hoxha came back with another meet and school record in the 200-freestyle with a time of 1:36.14. He qualified for the race as the No. 6 seed, but eked past Matthieu Burtez of FIU by .14 seconds. The time was also an NCAA B-cut time. The final event of the championship for Hoxhas was the 100-free, which he won, defeating Burtez by nearly a second to complete the three race sweep with another NCAA B-cut time.
Junior Rachel Eckert continued her phenominal season by winning the 3-meter dive with a score of 294.30. The following day, Eckert earned a second place finish in the 1-meter dive with a score of 267.90.
In the men’s 100-Fly, Vitor Sa set an Old Dominion record with a time of 48.11, which was also an NCAA B-cut time.
Jacob Zeidler continued the run on NCAA B-cut times with a time of 54.93 in the 100-Breast stroke.
Junior Yesim Giresunlu broke the school record in the 1650-free with a time of 16:42.31 with a fifth place finish.
In the men’s 1650-free, Bernardo Figuiredo qualified an NCAA B-cut time at 15:28.05 to finish in third place.
The final individual event was the men’s 200-Fly, which sophomore Reed Mathews earned a second place time of 1:46.13 to set an ODU record and an NCAA B-cut time.
Individual events were not the only ones where ODU set records, as the women’s and men’s 200-free relay broke school records, as well as the women’s 400 free relay, and the men’s 200 medley relay and 800 free relay.
The NCAA selection for the women’s NCAA Championships will be on Mar. 5, while the men’s will be Mar. 12.