Alabama
Men's NCAA Championships
12 Alabama Swimmers and Divers Earn Men's NCAA Championship Berths
3/11/2020 1:27:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The Crimson Tide’s total includes 11 swimmers and one diver as well as all five relays
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men qualified 12 swimmers and divers and all five relays for the upcoming NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, which will be held in Indianapolis, Ind., March 25-28. The Crimson Tide is sending seven swimmers and one diver in individual events and four swimmers as part of its relay pool.
Alabama is led by senior Zane Waddell, who is seeded second in the 100 backstroke, fifth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 50 freestyle. Freshmen Liam Bell and Derek Maas are also seeded in the top-10, coming in at No. 6 and No. 10, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke. Bell and Maas also qualified the 200 breaststroke.
Junior Tyler Sesvold qualified in three events, the 50 and 100 freestyles and the 100 butterfly. Sophomores Nicholas Perera (1,650 freestyle) and Nico Hernandez-Tome (400 individual medley) and freshman Matt Menke (100 backstroke) also earned championship berths.
The Crimson Tide is seeded second in both the 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays, while the 400 freestyle relay is seeded sixth.
Junior Sam DiSette, sophomores Jonathan Berneburg and Colton Stogner and freshman Cam Auerbach all made the meet as part of the Crimson Tide's relay contingent.
Sophomore Kevin Li punched his ticket to NCAAs earlier this week at the Zone B Diving Championships, picking up spots off the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards.
It will be the fourth trip to NCAAs for Waddell and the second for Sesvold, Perera, Berneburg and DiSette. Â Bell, Maas, Hernandez-Tome, Menke, Li, Auerbach and Stogner are all making their NCAA Championships debut.
Head Coach Coley Stickels Says
"We have a strong squad headed to nationals, including a great set of relays. We're excited to see how Zane Waddell closes out what has already been an amazing season and a great Alabama career. I'm also looking forward to seeing what guys like Liam Bell, Derek Maas and Matt Menke can do after earning their first trip to NCAAs as freshmen. Having Kevin Li make the meet is a boost for us and marks the first time in a while that we've had a diver at NCAAs. We're also looking forward to seeing what Tyler Sesvold, Nicholas Perera and Nico Hernandez-Tome can do with their individual swims. Making this meet is really hard, it's always a very fast field. Now that we're on our way, we're focused on improving on our performances at the SEC Championships, making the most of our opportunities and closing tough."
Going to the Show
- This year's squad is the Tide's largest since taking 14 to the 2016 NCAA Championships.
- Alabama doubled the number of student-athletes who earned a spot in individual events from last year, with eight in 2020.
- Alabama returns three All-Americans from last year's NCAA Championship squad – Waddell, Berneburg and DiSette.
- The Tide qualified individuals in all four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle) as well in the individual medley (combining all four competitive strokes in one race) and diving at these championships, as well as sprint and distance freestyle races.
- Li is the first UA diver to advance to the NCAA Championships since the Tide sent two in 2016.
- Waddell is the only senior on an NCAA Championships squad that is mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores.
- Waddell won the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle at the recent Southeastern Conference Championships, twice breaking the SEC record in the 100 backstroke. He comes into the meet with a 44.10 in the 100 backstroke, just four-hundredths of a second off the No. 1 seed.
- Waddell, who is also expected to swim four relays at the NCAA Championships, also holds the fastest 50 backstroke time in the nation after leading off the Tide's 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships with a 22.33, giving him two of the three fastest times in swimming history.
- Waddell and Sesvold are slated for the max number of swims at the NCAA Championships, qualifying in three individual events and as part of four relays.
- The Tide's second-seeded 400 medley relay of Waddell, Bell, Sesvold and Berneburg broke the SEC record on the way to the league title.
- Only five freshmen earned a spot in the 100 breaststroke and Alabama was the only squad with two rookies and the only school with two swimmers seeded in the top-10.
- Bell took second at the SEC Championships in the 100 breaststroke with a school record time.
- Perera bettered his own school 400 individual medley record at the SEC Championships.
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Players Mentioned
