Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Swimmer breaks program record at NCAAs

Senior Gustav Hokfelt set a men’s swimming and diving program record in the 100-yard backstroke in the NCAA Championships last weekend.

He swam the distance in 45.99 seconds – good for 18th in the nation and just 0.06 seconds away from a top-16 finish that would have advanced the Stockholm, Sweden native to the event’s finals.

Hokfelt also competed in the 50-yard freestyle Thursday and the 200-yard backstroke Saturday at the national competition, which took place at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis. Before the weekend, he said qualifying for the races accomplished one of the largest goals of his career.

In his first race, which Hokfelt previously said he was using as a warm-up, he finished in 51st place out of 51 finishers with a 20.28 second performance.

In the 200-yard backstroke, he finished in 36th place nationally out of 38 finishers with a 1:43.80 – his third-best finish of his career. Hokfelt was not available for comment.

Although he did not reach the finals of any of his events, Hokfelt was just one of the four GW swimmers in program history to reach the NCAAs. He follows appearances from graduates Andrea Bolognesi in 2016 and 2017, Alvaro Fortuny in 2001 and Tim Champney in 1999.

He earned his trip during GW’s second consecutive Atlantic 10 title in February. Hokfelt was awarded Most Outstanding Performer after winning seven gold medals in the event.

The fourth-year athlete finished his career with four individual program records and three relay records – all but one of which were set this season. He will graduate in May as the most decorated swimmer in GW’s record book.

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