With all of the Arizona Wildcats’ sports teams on break for the summer, it’s an optimal time to take stock of some of the programs we haven’t heard from in a while.
The Star’s nine-day long project is examining the state of several of the UA’s men’s and women’s sports on campus, reflecting on the prior season and looking ahead to the 2021-22 slate.
Up today is the Arizona men’s and women’s swimming and diving team.
Schnell is Tokyo-bound
Star Arizona diver Delaney Schnell punched her ticket to the Olympic games by qualifying for two events during the U.S. trials in Omaha. The Tucson native won the 10-meter synchronized platform event and the platform dive.
Schnell’s victories at the trials continue what has been a banner year for the redshirt junior. Earlier this season, she was named the Pac-12 Diver of the Year after winning the 1-meter and Platform events in the conference championships.
She also broke a Pac-12 and Arizona record in the 1-meter and platform events.
Schnell’s performance in the Olympic Games can be seen in a few weeks when competition begins on July 23 on NBC.
Women finish sixth in Pac-12
The UA women’s swim and dive team wrapped up its season earlier this spring by taking home sixth place in the Pac-12 Championships.
In addition to Schnell’s conference titles, the Wildcats also saw standout performances from several athletes. Molly Batchelor, Aria Bernal, Amalie Mortensen and Gracie Sleeman all placed well enough to advance to the NCAA Championships as individuals.
Brooks Fail set a UA school record in the 1,650-meter race with a time of 14:31.38 at the NCAA Championships.
Men’s team earns podium at Pac-12 meet
The UA men’s team recorded a third-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships. It marks the second time in the last three years that UA has placed third in the conference.
Brooks Fail earned a second-place finish in the 1,650-meter freestyle swim and Marin Ercegovic placed second in the 100-meter freestyle. Arizona’s 400-meter relay team finished second.
Two men earn All-American honors
With their performances at the NCAA Championships, Fail and teammate David Schlicht were named to the Division I All-America team. Fail recorded three top-10 finishes in his events, including third in the 500-meter freestyle, and Schlicht had two top-10 finishes.
As a team, the Wildcats finished 12th in the country at the NCAA Championships.
Fail breaks own record
In addition to his All-American status, Fail set an Arizona school record in the 1,650-meter race with a time of 14:31.38 at the NCAA Championships. His time breaks the previous school record by six seconds — a record that he’s held since 2019.
