North Carolina State University Athletics
Held Advances To 100 Free Finals At Olympic Trials
6/29/2016 12:33:00 PM | Swimming
Held enters Thursday evening as the No. 2 seed
OMAHA, Neb.- Rising junior Ryan Held of the NC State swimming and diving team is one step closer to punching his ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games as he clinched a spot in the 100 freestyle championship final on Wednesday evening at the United States Swimming Olympic Trials.Â
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In the prelims Held touched the wall at 48.46 to finish second, while Wolfpack alum David Williams stopped the clock at 49.28 to finish ninth and join Held in the semifinals inside the CenturyLink Center. Both sprinters held their placement in the event standings as Held swam a time of 48.48 and Williams posted a mark of 49.19 in the second round.Â
"We're pretty excited about Ryan and how he's put himself in a position to make the Olympic Team. Tomorrow night will be great competition, but he's put together two great races and has prepared himself to compete with the best," said head coach Braden Holloway.
"He's been really lowkey and has kept his emotions in check by having fun and relaxing. He's fed off of the crowd and his teammates, and Todd (DeSorbo) has helped him prepare for this moment. We're excited to see what the outcome is and whatever happens happens.
"We're also proud of David for a great showing in the 100 freestyle tonight as well. He had a storied career with a program and has continued to train with us for the Olympics," Holloway added.Â
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In addition to his dominating performance in the water, Held's prelims time marked the 13th-fastest 100 freestyle time ever clocked by an American.
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The 100 free championship final is slated to be contested Thursday evening. The top four finishers in the 100 freestyle will earn an automatic bid to Rio de Janiero, while the fifth and sixth-place finishers will receive high consideration from Team USA.Â
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Rising sophomore Justin Ress additionally had a strong showing in the 100 free prelims, as he swam a time of 50.06 to finish 30th in the event standings.
After four days in Omaha NC State has had three swimmers advance to a championship final and five to a semifinal.
The Pack will return to action at the Olympic Trials Thursday, as prelims will begin at 11 am ET and the evening session will commence at 8 pm ET. Coverage for prelims can be found on NBCOlympics.com and NBCSN, while each evening session will be broadcast on NBC.
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In the prelims Held touched the wall at 48.46 to finish second, while Wolfpack alum David Williams stopped the clock at 49.28 to finish ninth and join Held in the semifinals inside the CenturyLink Center. Both sprinters held their placement in the event standings as Held swam a time of 48.48 and Williams posted a mark of 49.19 in the second round.Â
"We're pretty excited about Ryan and how he's put himself in a position to make the Olympic Team. Tomorrow night will be great competition, but he's put together two great races and has prepared himself to compete with the best," said head coach Braden Holloway.
"He's been really lowkey and has kept his emotions in check by having fun and relaxing. He's fed off of the crowd and his teammates, and Todd (DeSorbo) has helped him prepare for this moment. We're excited to see what the outcome is and whatever happens happens.
"We're also proud of David for a great showing in the 100 freestyle tonight as well. He had a storied career with a program and has continued to train with us for the Olympics," Holloway added.Â
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In addition to his dominating performance in the water, Held's prelims time marked the 13th-fastest 100 freestyle time ever clocked by an American.
Â
The 100 free championship final is slated to be contested Thursday evening. The top four finishers in the 100 freestyle will earn an automatic bid to Rio de Janiero, while the fifth and sixth-place finishers will receive high consideration from Team USA.Â
Â
Rising sophomore Justin Ress additionally had a strong showing in the 100 free prelims, as he swam a time of 50.06 to finish 30th in the event standings.
After four days in Omaha NC State has had three swimmers advance to a championship final and five to a semifinal.
The Pack will return to action at the Olympic Trials Thursday, as prelims will begin at 11 am ET and the evening session will commence at 8 pm ET. Coverage for prelims can be found on NBCOlympics.com and NBCSN, while each evening session will be broadcast on NBC.
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