IOWA CITY, Iowa — Current and former University of Iowa swimmers will compete at the 2016 USA Olympic Team Trials — Swimming from June 26-July 3 at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Seniors Emma Sougstad (100-meter breast), Jackson Halsmer (50-meter free), and Kyle Patnode (100-meter fly), juniors Meghan Lavelle (100-meter back, 200-meter back) and RJ Hemmingsen (50-meter free), and recent UI graduate Mike Nelson (100-meter breast) will all be in action representing the Hawkeyes.
The event is the only selection meet for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The Trials will feature more than 1,800 of the fastest swimmers in the USA.
UI graduates Grant Betulius (100-meter back) and Brian Donatelli (50-meter free) and former Hawkeyes Nick Zito and Conor Dwyer will also be in action.
Zito will swim in the 100 and 200-meter breast, while Dwyer, who swam at the UI from 2007-09, will compete in the 100, 200, and 400-meter free and the 200-meter IM. He earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team by placing second in Sunday’s 400-meter freestyle final.
Other Hawkeyes who posted Olympic Trials qualifying times include: Dustin Rhoads (100-meter back), Tereysa Lehnertz (100-meter and 200-meter fly), Kenneth Mende (100-meter and 200-meter back), Roman Trussov (100-meter and 200-meter breast), Jerzy Twarowski (100-meter and 200-meter fly), and Jack Smith (200-meter free).
Rhoads qualified, but isn’t competing, while Mende, Trussov, Twarowski, and Smith are international student-athletes. Lehnertz is currently representing Puerto Rico in international competition.
The Trials will be shown exclusively across NBC networks and mobile platforms with eight days of live action on NBC & NBCSN with 16 hours of television coverage.
Prelims will be live daily at 10 a.m. (CT) on the NBC Sports Extra app. Prelims will also be televised on NBCSN daily (times vary), and finals will be televised daily at 7 p.m. each day.
Iowa Olympic Trials Schedule
Sunday, June 26 | Prelims | 10 a.m. (CT)
Mike Nelson | men’s 100-meter breast | 1:02.45 (46th)
Nick Zito | men’s 100-meter breast | 2:16.13 (42nd)
Monday, June 27 | Prelims | 10 a.m. (CT)
Meghan Lavelle | women’s 100-meter back | 1:03.16 (129th)
Emma Sougstad | women’s 100-meter breast | 1:09.19 (33rd)
Grant Betulius | men’s 100-meter back | 55.88 (38th)
Wednesday, June 29 | Prelims | 10 a.m. (CT)
Nick Zito | men’s 200-meter breast | 2:16.13 (42nd)
Thursday, June 30 | Prelims | 10 a.m. (CT)
Meghan Lavelle | women’s 200-meter back | 2:15.78 (101st)
Kyle Patnode | men’s 100-meter fly | 54.79 (140th)
RJ Hemmingsen | men’s 50-meter free | 23.22 (130th)
Jackson Halsmer | men’s 50-meter free | 23.29 (173rd)
Brian Donatelli | men’s 50-meter free | 23.24 (143)