AUBURN, Ala. – The Olympic journey continues for Auburn's Reid Mikuta and Nate Stoffle. By finishing top two in their respective at Wave I of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials this past weekend, Mikuta and Stoffle each earned a spot at Wave II beginning Sunday.
Stoffle, an incoming freshman, was first to qualify with a second-place finish in the A final of the men's 100 backstroke. He recorded a time of 55.28. Mikuta placed second in the men's 100 breaststroke, finishing the A final in 1:01.88. As a freshman at Auburn this past year, Mikuta was ninth-fastest in program history in the 100 breaststroke.
Mikuta and Stoffle will join fellow Auburn swimmers Brynn Curtis, Emily Hetzer and Averee Preble who already swam times fast enough to qualify for Wave II.
In all, Auburn had 12 swimmers reach either the A or B final at Wave I, including five incoming freshmen and newcomer Mykenzie Leehy, a graduate transfer from Houston. Hannah Ownbey and Henry Bethel each qualified for two finals at Wave I.
Wave II will be back at Omaha's CHI Health Center on June 13-20 and will determine the U.S. Olympic Team that will compete in Tokyo.
Wave I Finalists
Ty Babinec: 100 Breast (B)
Avery Bargeron: 100 Fly (B)
Henry Bethel: 100 Fly (B) and 200 IM (B)
Colby Hurt: 400 IM (B)
Mykenzie Leehy: 100 Free (A)
Reid Mikuta: 100 Breast (A)
Hannah Ownbey: 200 IM (A) and 400 IM (A)
Jacques Rathle: 400 IM (A)
Andrew Simmons: 200 Back (B)
Lleyton Smith: 100 Back (B)
Aidan Stoffle: 100 Fly (B)
Nate Stoffle: 100 Back (A)
