March 25, 2008
Federal Way, Wash. - Cleveland State University swimmer Jakub Dobies will compete at the Division I Men's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships this week in Federal Way, Wash. Dobies, a sophomore, will make the championship trip for the second consecutive year, and will compete in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events.
Dobies secured his berth by posting a school and Horizon League-record time of 53.64 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Ohio State Last Chance NCAA Qualifier meet on March 8. He is currently seeded 13th in the event, which will be swum on Friday. Because Dobies also achieved a "B" qualifying standard in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:00.43, on Dec. 1), he is permitted to compete in that event as well, and is currently seeded 38th for the Saturday race.
Last year, Dobies was seeded 13th in 100-yard breaststroke heading into the national meet, and eventually placed 28th overall (54.39). Should Dobies finish in the Top-16 at this year's championship, he will become the first All-American swimmer in Cleveland State and Horizon League history.
Dobies has shined during his first two seasons at Cleveland State, breaking several school and League records, and garnering various awards. He was named Horizon League Newcomer of the Year in 2007 and was Co-Athlete of the Year and Co-Swimmer of the [Championship] Meet in 2008. He owns the school and League records in both breaststroke events, and recorded 27 first-place swims in various events during the 2007-2008 season.
Competition at the NCAA National Championship Meet begins on Thursday and continues through Saturday at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. The meet is hosted by the University of Washington and the Seattle Sports Commission.
NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships
Date: March 27-29, 2008
Time: 12 noon (preliminary heats), 7:00 p.m. (finals) PST
Site: Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, Wash.TV: ESPN 2
(Tape delay, broadcast on Thursday, April 2 at 2:00 p.m. EST)(Live Streaming available at NCAA.com)
Results: Livestats available at NCAAswim.com/men08/
Tickets: Available At Site