Bilunas Qualifies as Huskers Prepare for Olympic Trials

The Nebraska swimming and diving team has had six swimmers qualify for the 2016 Olympic trials set to take place in Omaha in June. Alexandra Bilunas, Taryn Collura, Jordan Ehly, Erin Oeltjen, Morgan McCafferty and Katt Sickle all have earned spots at the Trials.

Bilunas was the sixth Husker to earn a spot at the Trials after her performance in Michigan the day after the Big Ten Championships. Bilunas matched the Olympic Trial qualification time of 26.19 in the 50-meter freestyle in her third and final attempt.

Bilunas joins five other Huskers who earned qualifying times at the 2015 USA Winter National Championships in December. Collura qualified in the 50-meter freestyle after swimming a time of 25.89. Ehly posted a qualifying time of 2:33.65 in the 200-meter breaststroke. Oeltjen notched two qualifying times in both the 200-meter backstroke (2:15.74) and the 100-meter backstroke (1:03.05). McCafferty earned her qualifying time in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:03.22. Sickle qualified in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:16.43.

Cassie Brassard competed at the Canadian Olympic Trials in early April. Brassard swam a new career-best in the 100-meter backstroke posting a time of 1:03.30, shaving over an entire second off of her previous career-best. This performance earned her a spot in the consolation finals.

To prepare for the Olympic Trials, members of the Nebraska swimming and diving team will be competing at various long course events over the next few months. Nebraska will begin competition this weekend in Omaha. The Huskers will also compete in Kansas City in May and Lincoln in June. The Huskers will wrap up preparation with the Omaha Cup in mid-June. Along with the Huskers’ Olympic qualifiers, non-qualifiers will also compete at the Omaha Cup hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials.