Four TU swimmers participate in 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

These Tigers were competing for a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio later this summer.

Members of the Towson University swimming and diving program, Nick Breschi, Hannah Snyder, Jenna Van Camp and Jack Saunderson participated in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.
Members of the Towson University swimming and diving program, Nick Breschi, Hannah Snyder, Jenna Van Camp and Jack Saunderson participated in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Tigers are not generally known for their prowess in the water, but the Tigers from the Towson University swimming and diving program continue to make their mark in the pool.

This week, recent graduates Hannah Snyder and Jenna Van Camp, senior Nick Breschi and sophomore Jack Saunderson participated in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

The event serves as the only selection meet for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team competing at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Over 1,800 of the fastest swimmers in the country are competing in the eight-day event.

Snyder competed on the trials’ opening day on Monday in the 400 long course meter (LCM) individual relay. Snyder, who qualified for the trials last July, finished 70th overall in a field of 119 total swimmers.

Van Camp was the only member of the TU group to qualify for two events, earning a spot in the 100- and 200-LCM breastroke. Van Camp competed in the 100-LCM breastroke on Monday, where she finished 51st overall in a field of 125. The recent graduate will compete in the 200-LCM breastroke this Thursday.

Get the complete results from the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

These Olympic trials cap the Towson University careers of both Van Camp and Snyder, whose swimming resumes include three Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Swimming and Diving team championships. Van Camp also competed in two NCAA Championships, while Snyder was voted CAA Swimming Freshman of the Year.

Breschi competed in the 100-LCM backstroke on Monday. He finished 138th overall in the field of 185 swimmers.

Saunderson had the daunting task of competing in the 200-LCM butterfly event on Tuesday against world record holder Michael Phelps. The TU sophomore held his own at the event, finishing 42nd overall in a field of 83 swimmers.

Towson University’s men's and women's swimming and diving programs will begin their 2016-17 season this fall.