The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials
Haas, Conger earn U.S. Olympic Team berths
06.28.2016 | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
Townley Haas and Jack Conger officially earn trips to Rio Olympics for Team USA; Madisyn Cox qualifies for second final of the week.
Townley Haas press conference transcript
OMAHA, Neb. – Texas rising sophomore Townley Haas and UT rising senior Jack Conger became first-time U.S. Olympians Tuesday evening on night three of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
Haas earned his spot on the U.S. Olympic Team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by winning the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday night. The three-time NCAA champion edged fellow Olympian Conor Dwyer at 1 minute, 45.66 seconds. Haas is the first Longhorn to win the 200 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials since Josh Davis in 2000.
Conger earned his spot on the U.S. team for Rio by placing third in the same event at 1:45.77. The Rockville, Maryland, native will be eligible to compete in the 4x200m freestyle relay for the U.S. at the Rio Olympics.
"I know what kind of work they've been through," said UT head coach Eddie Reese. "We're in a real tough sport. When you're at this level, everyone works hard, and they're all talented. So, to make an Olympic team in this sport, it's almost impossible. When you do it, they don't think much of it now, but maybe in 10 years it will hit them how difficult it was. It's quite an accomplishment."
The top-three finishes for Haas and Conger ensure that Texas places a man on the USA's 4x200m freestyle relay for an eighth straight Olympic Games. Haas and Conger become the 40th and 41st Olympians from the Texas men's swimming and diving program.
All-America rising senior Clark Smith placed sixth in the 200 freestyle final at 1:47.53 and is in the mix to earn a U.S. Olympic Team berth in the 4x200m freestyle relay later this week. (see bottom for selection procedures). Smith has another opportunity to make the U.S. team this week in the 1500m freestyle.
Texas rising junior Jonathan Roberts, in his first final at a U.S. Olympic Trials, placed eighth in the same race at 1:49.50. Texas matched its output at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials by placing four in the eight-man 200 freestyle final.
Texas rising sophomore John Shebat competed in his first U.S. Olympic Trials final and placed sixth overall in the 100 backstroke at 54.20, good for a personal best. Shebat earned honorable mention All-America honors in the same event last March and led off UT's 400 medley relay that set an NCAA title and rewrote the NCAA record.
Texas All-America rising senior Madisyn Cox qualified for her second final of the U.S. Olympic Trials after placing third overall in the 200 individual medley semifinals at 2:11.39. The Lubbock native took fourth in the 400 IM Sunday night and is one race away from making the U.S. Olympic Team. The top-two finishers in Wednesday's final will compete at the Rio Olympics.
"Madisyn is swimming freely and racing tough," said UT head women's coach Carol Capitani. "She has put herself in a position to be in the hunt, and that's all we've wanted from the start. Madisyn put together a complete race."
Conger followed up his 200 freestyle swim by qualifying seventh for Wednesday's 200 butterfly final. Conger placed fourth in his semifinal heat at 1:57.02.
Former Longhorn Karlee Bispo placed 16th in the 200 freestyle semifinals at 2:00.59.
Day four of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials gets underway Wednesday at 10 a.m. CT. Live video of prelims and finals will be available at NBCSports.com/Live, and NBC will air Wednesday's finals at 7 p.m. CT. The Trials continue through Sunday night.
Meet results are available during the preliminary and finals sessions at OmegaTiming.com.
U.S. Olympic Team selection procedures (re: 5th & 6th place finishers in the 100/200 free)
Per team selection procedures, swimmers who finish in the top-four of the 100 and 200 freestyle events, along with the first-place finishers in all other events are named to the team first if they have achieved a FINA Olympic qualifying standard.
Players Mentioned
