Hokie ClubOMAHA, Neb. - Several Virginia Tech swimmers will be in action next week at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials when competition begins on June 29 at the Qwest Center.
A total of seven current, former or future Hokies will be in attendance at the event that runs through July 6 and determines the United States' representatives at the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, which will be held August 8-24.
Those Hokies who will be returning to Tech next year include rising senior Megan Newell (Ashburn, Va.), rising sophomore Sarah Losinger (Marietta, Ga.) and rising senior Sara Smith (McGaheysville, Va.)
Smith, the ACC Women's Scholar Athlete of the Year, holds top-100 world rankings in both of the events that she will be competing in, the 50-yard and the 100-yard freestyle. A 2007 All-American in the 100, Smith captured both events at the ACC Championships in 2008.
Newell had a breakout season as a junior and currently holds the Tech record in both the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events. Both Newell and Smith were a part of Tech's ACC champion 200-yard medley relay team back in February. Newell will swim the 100-yard butterfly, while Losinger is entered in the 200-yard breaststroke.
There will also be three swimmers at the trials who recently completed great careers at Virginia Tech - four-time All-American and two-time ACC Swimmer of the Year Jessica Botzum (Raleigh, N.C.), three-time ACC 100-yard butterfly champion Scott Beard (Chesterfield, Va.) and freestyler Pete Cancila (Broomall, Pa.). Botzum will compete in the 100-yard and 200-yeard breaststroke, Beard will take part in the 100-yard backstroke and Cancila will swim the 50-yard freestyle.
Finally, Jace Howanitz (Knoxville, Tenn.), an incoming Virginia Tech freshman who signed with the Hokies in December, will compete in the 200-yard individual medley.
Below is a schedule of events that the Hokies will be competing in. All times are Central, with the preliminary sessions starting at 11 a.m., and the semifinal/final sessions starting at 6:45 p.m. Visit http://www.omegatiming.com/calendar/index.html to access live results once the Olympic Trials start.
Women's 100 butterfly (prelim) - Megan Newell - 6/29
-Semifinal - 6/29
-Final - 6/30
Women's 100 breaststroke (prelim) - Jessica Botzum - 6/30
-Semifinal - 6/30
-Final - 7/1
Men's 100 backstroke (prelim) - Scott Beard - 6/30
-Semifinal - 6/30
-Final - 7/1
Women's 200 individual medley (prelim) - Jace Howanitz - 7/1
-Semifinal - 7/1
-Final - 7/2
Women's 100 freestyle (prelim) - Sara Smith - 7/3
-Semifinal - 7/3
-Final - 7/4
Women's 200 breaststroke (prelim) - Jessica Botzum, Sarah Losinger - 7/3
-Semifinal - 7/3
-Final - 7/4
Men's 50 freestyle (prelim) - Pete Cancila - 7/4
-Semifinal - 7/4
-Final - 7/5
Women's 50 freestyle (prelim) - Sara Smith - 7/5
Semifinal - 7/5
Final - 7/6