Five Bulldogs Invited to NCAA Championships
March 12, 2025 | Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving
ATHENS, Ga. – Five members of the University of Georgia men's swimming and diving team were invited to the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Championships Wednesday morning.
The five Bulldogs, joined by divers Matthew Bray and Renato Calderaro and four relay alternates, will head to Federal Way, Washington for the event, running March 26-29 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. Bray and Calderaro qualified for the NCAA Championships on both springboards this week at the Zone B Championships at Auburn.
Redshirt senior Luca Urlando holds the top seed in the 200-yard butterfly with his American Record time of 1:37.17 set at Tennessee, followed by an SEC championship in the event. Urlando, who has reached the NCAA podium nine times in his career, is also seeded second in the 100y butterfly and 14th in the 200y individual medley.
Graduate Jake Magahey ranks fourth in the 500y freestyle and 400y IM and eighth in the 200y butterfly as he enters his fifth NCAAs. Sophomore Tomas Koski is seeded third in the 500y freestyle and fifth in the 200y freestyle, along with the No. 22 slot in the 1,650y freestyle. Junior Ruard van Renen holds the ninth seed in the 100y backstroke and 22nd seed in the 200y backstroke, while freshman Drew Hitchcock is 12th in the 400y IM and 24th in the 200y butterfly.
Along with the individual athletes competing at NCAAs, the Bulldogs' 800y freestyle relay is seeded third overall following a bronze medal and school record at the SEC Championships.
Georgia has also selected four student-athletes as relay alternates: senior Reese Branzell, redshirt sophomore Kristian Pitshugin, and freshmen Tane Bidois and Elliot Woodburn.
QUALIFIERS
Psych sheet seed in parentheses
Matthew Bray – 1m Diving, 3m Diving
Renato Calderaro – 1m Diving, 3m Diving
Drew Hitchcock – 400y IM (#12), 200y Butterfly (#24)
Tomas Koski – 500y Freestyle (#3), 200y Freestyle (#5), 1,650y Freestyle (#22)
Jake Magahey – 500y Freestyle (#4), 400y IM (#4), 200y Butterfly (#8)
Luca Urlando – 200y Butterfly (#1), 100y Butterfly (#2), 200y IM (#14)
Ruard van Renen – 100y Backstroke (#9), 200y Backstroke (#22)
RELAY ALTERNATES
Tane Bidois
Reese Branzell
Kristian Pitshugin
Elliot Woodburn
The five Bulldogs, joined by divers Matthew Bray and Renato Calderaro and four relay alternates, will head to Federal Way, Washington for the event, running March 26-29 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. Bray and Calderaro qualified for the NCAA Championships on both springboards this week at the Zone B Championships at Auburn.
Redshirt senior Luca Urlando holds the top seed in the 200-yard butterfly with his American Record time of 1:37.17 set at Tennessee, followed by an SEC championship in the event. Urlando, who has reached the NCAA podium nine times in his career, is also seeded second in the 100y butterfly and 14th in the 200y individual medley.
Graduate Jake Magahey ranks fourth in the 500y freestyle and 400y IM and eighth in the 200y butterfly as he enters his fifth NCAAs. Sophomore Tomas Koski is seeded third in the 500y freestyle and fifth in the 200y freestyle, along with the No. 22 slot in the 1,650y freestyle. Junior Ruard van Renen holds the ninth seed in the 100y backstroke and 22nd seed in the 200y backstroke, while freshman Drew Hitchcock is 12th in the 400y IM and 24th in the 200y butterfly.
Along with the individual athletes competing at NCAAs, the Bulldogs' 800y freestyle relay is seeded third overall following a bronze medal and school record at the SEC Championships.
Georgia has also selected four student-athletes as relay alternates: senior Reese Branzell, redshirt sophomore Kristian Pitshugin, and freshmen Tane Bidois and Elliot Woodburn.
QUALIFIERS
Psych sheet seed in parentheses
Matthew Bray – 1m Diving, 3m Diving
Renato Calderaro – 1m Diving, 3m Diving
Drew Hitchcock – 400y IM (#12), 200y Butterfly (#24)
Tomas Koski – 500y Freestyle (#3), 200y Freestyle (#5), 1,650y Freestyle (#22)
Jake Magahey – 500y Freestyle (#4), 400y IM (#4), 200y Butterfly (#8)
Luca Urlando – 200y Butterfly (#1), 100y Butterfly (#2), 200y IM (#14)
Ruard van Renen – 100y Backstroke (#9), 200y Backstroke (#22)
RELAY ALTERNATES
Tane Bidois
Reese Branzell
Kristian Pitshugin
Elliot Woodburn
Players Mentioned
Free / Back
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Back / Fly / IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free / Fly / IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free / Fly / IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free / Back / Fly
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breast
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