Alabama Swimmer Robert Howard Earns a Place on the United States National Team
10/26/2018 1:40:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The Alexander City, Ala., native will swim for Team USA at the 2019 World University Games this summer in Naples, Italy
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Earlier today, Alabama swimmer Robert Howard wore a cap with the Crimson Tide's script A on it on his way to picking up two individual wins and anchoring two winning relays in Knoxville, Tenn., against the Tennessee Volunteers.
This summer, he'll be wearing a different cap and traveling much farther to make a splash. In July, the Alexander City, Ala., native will wear the American flag on his cap with his name underneath it as a member of Team USA.
Howard has been named to the United States National Team and will be compete in this summer's 2019 World University Games (XXX Summer Universiade) in Naples, Italy.
"To have the chance to wear that cap with your name underneath the flag is such an incredible honor," Howard said. "It's been a dream of mine for so long and something I've been working really hard toward for as long as I can remember – I couldn't be prouder to have this opportunity."
The senior accounting major has been making a quick rise through the ranks in the freestyle events, including a U.S. Open win the 100-meter freestyle in the summer of 2017 and another strong showing at the U.S. National Championships this past summer, which earned him his first international assignment with the United States. This summer he broke the school 100-meter freestyle mark previously held by NCAA champion and two-time Olympian Kristian Gkolomeev.
"We're very excited for Robert," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "Any time you get the chance to represent your country in international competition it's a great honor and a tremendous opportunity. He's just gotten better and better as he's gone along and we're very proud of everything he's accomplished."
Currently the fastest 50 freestyler in the NCAA to this point of the season, Howard is a nine-time All-American and a Southeastern Conference Champion. He is also a classroom champion, earning First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors last spring while carrying a 4.0 cumulative grade point average.
Howard was invited to swim at December's World Short Course Championships, but made the decision to focus on closing out his final collegiate season strong instead.
The first member of the Alabama men's team to compete for the U.S. since diver Aaron Fleshner (2007-10), Howard is part of a growing Crimson Tide trend. Freshmen women Kensey McMahon and Rhyan White both swam for the United States this fall at the World Junior Open Water Championships and the Youth Olympic Games, respectively.
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