Six UB Men's Swimmers Set For 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Meet

Bridgeport, Conn.-Six University of Bridgeport men's swimmers are Alabama-bound on Monday, March 4 to begin their final preparations for the 2013 NCAA Division II Championship Meet that will be held at the CrossPlex Center in Birmingham as part of this year's NCAA Division II Winter Sports Festival beginning on Wednesday, March 6.  The 2013 UB Swimming "National Team" is led by junior co-captain, and two-time defending NCAA 100-yard Backstroke Champion, Oscar Pereiro (Arzua, Spain), who also holds the national record with a time of 46.99 in that event.  Joining Pereiro on this year's squad at nationals are seniors Vyacheslav Fattakhov (Almatt, Kazakhstan) and Artur Pietrzak (Lezno, Poland), junior Ruben Gimenez (Burgos, Spain), sophomore Vladislav Paskas (Zrenjanin, Serbia), and graduate student Krzysztof Wilk (Krakow, Poland). The six combined to qualify for the NCAAs in two relays (200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle) while Pereiro, and Gimenez qualified in a total of two individual events each, and Fattakhov qualified for a single individual event.  As a result of qualifying for the championships, all six swimmers will have the opportunity to swim any event they also achieved an NCAA "B" standard in. 

Last season the Bridgeport men's swimming team took ninth place after finish a program-best sixth in 2011.  The Purple Knight men have sent swimmers to the NCAA Division II Championship Meet in all four years of the program's existence, and the team has captured an impressive seven National Titles in only three years.  This will also be the second year in a row UB will feature six competitors, with four returning. Head coach Brad Flood stated that the goal as a team this year is to break into the top ten again improve on their ninth place finish from a season ago. Said Flood, "I have a great deal faith in this group swimmers, and that they have a quiet confidence heading into the championships." The Purple Knights will look to go for three-straight 200-yard Medley Relay championships, as well as try to recapture the 200-yard Freestyle Relay that they won previously in 2011.

The 2013 NCAA Division II Championship meet begins Wednesday, March 6 and continues through Saturday March 9. Preliminaries will begin at 10:00 am central time (11:00 am eastern time) and finals will take place at 5:30 pm central time (6:30 pm eastern time).  Live video and results are available by checking www.ncaa.com or www.ubknights.com.

2013 Events at NCAA Division II Men's Nationals for Bridgeport Swimmers:

Vyacheslav Fattakhov

Fri. 3/8 - 200 yard Breaststroke

Ruben Gimenez

Wed. 3/6 - 200 yard Medley Relay

Fri. 3/8 - 100 yard Breaststroke

Sat. 3/9 - 100 yard Freestyle

Sat. 3/9 - 400 yard Freestyle Relay

Vladislav Paskas

Sat. 3/9 - 400 yard Freestyle Relay

Oscar Pereiro

Wed. 3/6 - 50 yard Freestyle

Wed. 3/6 - 200 yard Medley Relay

Fri. 3/8 - 100 yard Backstroke

Sat. 3/9 - 400 yard Freestyle Relay

Artur Pietrzak

Wed 3/6 – 200 yard Medley Relay

Krzysztof Wilk

Wed 3/6 - 200 yard Medley Relay

Sat 3/9 - 400 yard Freestyle Relay