After strong showings at their previous two meets, two LSU swimmers will compete in this week’s NCAA Men’s Championships starting today and ending Saturday.
Senior Hannes Heyl and sophomore Craig Hamilton will represent the Tigers at the University of Minnesota’s Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Heyl, an eight-time NCAA All-American, earned a fourth trip to the NCAA Championships in four years after finishing third in the 100-yard butterfly at last month’s Southeastern Conference Championships with a personal best of 46.55 seconds.
Hamilton will be competing in his second NCAA Championships meet. His school-record time of 15 minutes, 2.64 seconds in the mile freestyle secured his nationals spot.
LSU swimming coach David Geyer said the experience will be an advantage for the swimmers.
“They know about the anticipation,” he said. “They just have to be patient and wait for their swims.”
Heyl is seeded 15th in the 100-yard butterfly, in which he has already earned an All-America accolade. Heyl finished 17th in the event at last year’s NCAA Championships.
He will also compete in the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard freestyle, a race he placed 20th in at last year’s championships.
“They both want that All-American status,” Geyer said. “They want to get that top 15 in the country.”
Hamilton is seeded 17th in the mile freestyle. He will also compete in the 500-yard freestyle, in which he set a school record at the SEC Championships. Hamilton raced in both events at last year’s NCAA Championships as well.
“Craig seems to be carrying his pace pretty well in the water,” Geyer said. “It bodes well for his mile.”
The men will look to build off the strong performances of the Lady Tigers, who placed 14th at last week’s NCAA Women’s Championships, their best finish since 1993.
Geyer was in Austin, Texas, last week with the Lady Tigers, so he couldn’t watch Hamilton and Heyl practice. He said based on this week’s practices the Tigers look sharp and ready to go.
 
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