INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Penn State will send two swimmers to Austin, Texas, for the NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships, as Gabe Castano and freshman Michael Daly were formally invited to the 2019 NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday by the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Committee.
The championships will be held March 27-30 at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas, at the University of Texas.
Castano is making his first appearance at the meet and qualified in the 50 freestyle. Castano ranks 12th in the nation in the 50 free with a season-best time of 19.20, set at the Big Ten Championships. The time ranks him second all-time in Penn State history and earned Castano a bronze medal at Big Tens. The sophomore also has a NCAA B-Cut time in the 100 free (43.07).
Daly, the freshman, is also making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships after swimming a school-record time of 3:42.48 at the Big Ten Championships in the 400 IM. This time ranks Daly 20th nationally entering the NCAAs. Daly also holds B-Cut times in the 1650 free (15:03.81) and the 200 back (1:43.55).
They will join a pair of Penn State divers that earned their NCAA Championships berths at the NCAA Zone A Regionals this week. Senior Hector Garcia Boissier qualified for a fourth consecutive time, while classmate Jack Crow earned his second trip sand first since his freshman year.
The full field of selected divers will officially be announced Sunday, March 17.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Twitter at @PennStateSWIM and on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving.
A fundraiser was launched to support freshman women's swimmer Nikolette Nolte and her family for costs associated with her leukemia treatment. Any surplus funds will be donated to THON and the Jessie Rees Foundation to help others facing pediatric cancer. Donate at gopsu.info/nikistrong.
