Oct. 20, 2004
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men’s swimming and diving team will host the University of Tennessee on Thursday for a dual meet at 2 p.m. in the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in both team’s season opener. The Yellow Jackets hold a 7-2 edge in the series, but have not faced the Volunteers since 1959.
Leading the way for Tech will be returning All-American junior Sam Morgan. Morgan finished 15th in the 1500-meter freestyle at last year’s NCAA Championships.
Senior captain Matt Figh, junior Jason Howard and sophomore diver Tony Burkhardt also return after strong campaigns in 2003-04.
Figh tied the school record in the 200 freestyle last year and swam in the finals of the 200 free, 500 free and 200 butterfly at the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships.
Howard finished eighth in the 200 free at the ACC meet with a personal-best time of 1:38.74. Burkhardt tallied a pair of top-10 finishes on the one- and three-meter springboards at the conference championships last season.
Freshman Chris Ewald and Onur Uras could emerge as top contenders for the Yellow Jackets. Ewald competed on the U.S. Junior team and will swim freestyle for the Jackets. Uras swam the 100 fly at the Athens Olympics this August and will be one of the frontrunners in the fly events for Tech.
The women’s swimming and diving team will open up the season at Georgia on Saturday at 11 a.m., along with the men.
-GT SWIMMING & DIVING-
