Richmond, Va. - Junior Hannah Gouger represented the Spider Swim and Dive team at the TYR Pro Series meet here in Richmond this week, qualifying for the US Olympic Trials in Omaha, Ne. in 2020. 

Meet Results

Gouger competed in three events over the four day long course meet and qualified for the B Finals in all three. Thursday saw the 50 backstroke event; Gouger took 11th going a 29.43 in the morning. She returned in the evening session to go 30.02, slightly slower than her morning swim, but taking fourth in her heat. Friday, she competed in the 100 back event. Racing from the outside lane eight in the preliminary session, Gouger went out in 30.55 for her first 50, finishing with a time of 1:02.39 - three tenths faster than the US Olympic Team Trials cut. Gouger's time qualifies her to travel to Omaha, Ne. next summer ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games to compete at the Olympic Trials. Her time also sent her to the B Finals where she raced next to Olympian Simone Manuel and went just slightly slower than her morning swim with a time of 1:02.64 - still below the qualifying time. In the final day of the meet, Gouger competed in the 200 backstroke event. In the morning, she went 2:17.62 to qualify for B Finals where she improved on her 12th place prelim finish by taking second in the heat with a time of 2:16.15 - 0.13 seconds behind first, rounding out an impressive weekend.

Following the meet, Gouger said, "I'm really excited to have made the cut this early in the long course season. Being able to make it at a meet in Richmond is special because I was able to have friends and family cheering me on this weekend. Now it's back to training hard and making the improvements I need in order to keep getting better. I am looking forward to competing at the USA Summer Nationals in Palo Alto, Calif. this summer, so the training for that starts now."

Coach Matt Barany said, "Hannah had such an impressive junior year. It's hard to wrap our heads around all of her accomplishments. To be racing at the NCAA National Championship in March and a Pro Series meet in April is just awesome. I know she is pumped to have achieved that 2020 Trials cut because now she has her last swim meet on the calendar in Omaha next summer. This is big for Hannah, but it's really big for our program. I am so proud and excited."

Gouger's qualifying time is on the heels of her performance as the seventh-ever Spider to compete at the NCAA Championships this past March. Keep following her journey and the rest of the Spiders on social media at @SpiderSwimDive.