Lehigh University Athletics
DiGiacinto shines at long course championships
7/30/2009 4:45:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – On the heels of a strong freshman campaign in the pool for the Brown and White, rising sophomore Angelo DiGiacinto recently qualified for the U.S. National Long Course Championships with a strong showing at the Middle Atlantic Swimming Senior Long Course Championships, held last weekend at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium. Competing unattached, DiGiacinto placed third in the 100-meter butterfly with a finals time of 56.73 seconds.
DiGiacinto, Lehigh’s freshman male Swimmer of the Year, has spent the summer months taking classes at Lehigh, while training in Jacobs Pool and training in CrossFit with Lehigh swimming’s strength coach Markus Riggleman.
"Angelo has been working all summer on some new training and it seems to have had a real positive effect, said Lehigh head coach Rob Herb."I do not think we have had any Lehigh swimmers qualify for U.S. Nationals Long Course in a very long time, so this is a very impressive accomplishment for Angelo and the entire Lehigh program."
At 57.46 seconds, DiGiacinto posted the second fastest time in qualifying. He placed third overall, 1.09 seconds behind the top time, which established a new meet record.
This past season, the Succasunna, N.J. native scored points in three individual events at the Patriot League Championships. DiGiacinto’s top finish was a fourth place showing in the 100-yard butterfly, where established a new school record in the event with a time of 49.02 seconds in the preliminaries. He has spent his summer working with Herb and Riggleman on conditioning, intense strength development and flexibility. Herb has tagged DiGiacinto as one to watch in the Patriot League next season.
The U.S. National Long Course Championships are scheduled for December, while Lehigh’s 2009-10 season will get underway in October.
