Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

Tucson Ford Aquatics swimmer Matt Grevers earned a first-place finish in the 100 back on Wednesday night to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Grevers recorded the second-fastest time in the event ever at 52.08. This will mark his second trip to the Olympic Games after earning a silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games.

"(I am) so excited," Grevers said. "Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, they know they're going to make it. I didn't. So of course I'm going to get pumped up. When I saw the time, I realized how fast I went, I mean, that's a real shot for Olympic gold and being less than two tenths off a world record, I'm going to do that, I hope. It's in my sights now. It's not just a dream;
it's something that's real and something I can get excited about."

Other Arizona swimmers also represented well as Ellyn Baumgardner and Annie Chandler finished fourth and fifth in the 100 breaststroke finals, respectively.

In semifinal action, Alyssa Anderson qualified for the 200 free after finishing sixth in the semifinal with a time of 1:58.09. Teammate Whitney Burnett posted a ninth-place finish in the 200 IM with a time of 2:14.17.

"This is honestly one of the best days I can remember," Arizona head coach Eric Hansen said. "With Matt qualifying, Alyssa making it to the finals and Whitney swimming the way she is, I am extremely proud of what our team is doing and with the way our momentum is headed, it can only get better."

Olympic trials competition will continue on Thursday with the men's 100 free, the women's 200 fly and men's 200 breast preliminary rounds in the morning. The men's 100 free, women's 200 fly and and men's 200 breast semifinals and women's 200 free, men's 200 fly and women's 200 IM finals will take place in the evening session.

For complete results and continued coverage of Arizona Swimming and Diving, visit ArizonaWildcats.com.

Wednesday Results
Preliminaries
Women 200 IM
-Whitney Burnett 6th - 2:14.55
-Shannyn Hultin 97th - 2:21.96

Men 200 Fly
-Matt Barber 77th - 2:03.47

Women 200 Free
-Alyssa Anderson 8th - 1:59.18
-Monica Drake 75th - 2:04.04
-Grace Finnegan 95th - 2:06.54
-Sarah Denninghoff 97th - 2:06.99
-Whitney Burnett - DFS

Semifinals
Women 200 Free
-Alyssa Anderson 6th - 1:58.09

Women 200 IM
-Whitney Burnett 9th - 1:14.17

Finals
Men 100 Back
-Matt Grevers 1st - 52.08

Women 100 Breast
-Ellyn Baumgardner 4th - 1:07.19
-Annie Chandler 5th - 1:07.28