Bucknell University Athletics
Devlin Set to Compete at U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha
6/23/2016 2:47:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell's Chris Devlin will have the opportunity to compete against some of the best swimmers in the world when he participates at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held in Omaha, Nebraska on June 26-July 3. All qualifying heats and the finals of the event, which will be held at the CenturyLink Center, will be streamed live by NBC Sports.
“While we had hoped for a larger contingent of Bucknell swimmers at the Olympic Trials, we are extremely excited for Chris,” said Bucknell head coach Dan Schinnerer. “This is a tremendous experience and opportunity for him. I can think of only a handful of events where you get to swim in front of over 10,000 people, and the U.S. Olympic Trials is one of them. There is no other meet that has the size, scope, and pressure that you see at an Olympic Trials.”
Devlin, who recently wrapped up a spectacular sophomore season for the Bison, will compete in the 100 back and 200 back at the Olympic Trials. He qualified for both events with his times at the Phillips 66 National Championships in August, posting long course school-record times of 57.08 in the 100 back and 2:01.75 in the 200 back. He finished 26th at the national meet in the longer of the two events.
“Chris has worked for this opportunity and shown some outstanding progression in his swimming over the last three years,” Schinnerer said. “No matter how he performs, we know Chris will learn a great deal from being in Omaha, and this will help continue his growth as a swimmer and student-athlete.”
In February, Devlin turned in one of the best individual performances by a Bucknell swimmer in years, earning the program's first Swimmer of the Meet Award since 1993 after scoring 55 points at the Patriot League Championships. He won both the 200 back and 400 IM with school- and league-record times. In addition to those two records, he has the program's top time in the 100 back, and swam a leg on the record-holding 400 medley relay, 400 free relay and 800 free relay teams.
In just two seasons at Bucknell, Devlin's resume already includes the Olympic Trials qualifier status and the Swimmer of the Meet award, in addition to two First Team All-Patriot League honors and one nod on the Academic All-Patriot League Team. As a freshman, he became the first Bison swimmer since 1992 to win the 200 back at the ECAC Championships.
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