(Pictured above: David Bocci.)
Three Golden Eagle swimmers–David Bocci, Connor Cary and Hannah Greenway–earned berths to this year’s championships. In addition, seven Clarion divers–Jack Beattie, Michael Flamm and Zach Schering for the men, as well as Luna Castellanos, Alexa Gonczi, Colleen Hudson and Katie Madigan for the women–will compete in the prequalification meet before the start of the Championships, in order to lock up their own bids.
For Bocci and Cary, it will be a repeat trip to the NCAA Championships after both qualified a year ago. Bocci became Clarion’s first men’s swimmer to earn All-America honors since 2013 when he placed eighth in the 200 Fly, including a school record 1:46.19 in the prelims.
Cary, meanwhile, was an All-America Honorable Mention in the 100 Fly, breaking his own school record in the event.
Cary hit a number of NCAA B cuts in 2023-24, including a new PSAC Championships and Clarion record in the 100 Fly with a time of 47.26. He also notched B cuts in the 100 Free, the 200 Fly and the 200 IM. Bocci, meanwhile, hit NCAA B cuts in the 200 Free, the 200 Fly and the 200 IM.
Greenway, on the other hand, will be making her first-ever trip to the NCAA Championships after a standout junior season. She hit NCAA B Cuts in the 50 Free and 100 Free in 2023-24, with the former a 23.31 at the Zippy Invitational and the latter a 51.92 at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships. Greenway is the first Golden Eagle woman swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships since Gabriella Schaffer in 2014.
Action will commence on Tuesday, March 12 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio with the diving prequalification meet. The Golden Eagle divers competing on Tuesday will look to earn spots to compete in the week’s events. Of the seven divers that have clinched berths in the prequalification meet, four have prior NCAA Championships experience.
On the women’s side, Luna Castellanos is the reigning College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division II Women’s Diver of the Year after winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter national championships as a freshman in 2023.
On the men’s side, Zach Schering has totaled three All-America finishes in his first two years of competition and will look to add to his trophy mantle, while Jack Beattie – an All-American in the 3-meter dive last year – will look for more hardware.
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