COLUMBIA, Mo. - A team record eight members of the Mizzou men's swimming team earned invitations to the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, announced on Wednesday. Seniors Sam Tierney (Plano, Texas), Mack Darragh (Oakville, Ontario, Canada), Igor Kozlovskij (Klaipeda, Lithuania) and Andrew Phillips (Austin, Texas), redshirt junior Matthew Margritier (Leawood, Kan.), junior Daniel Graviss (Houston, Texas) and sophomores Michael Chadwick (Charlotte, N.C.) and Carter Griffin (Parker, Colo.) will all represent the Tigers at the Championships March 26-28 in Iowa City, Iowa.
The eight individual swimming invitees are a team record and continue a trend under fifth-year Head Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh. Since he took over before the 2010-11 season, Rhodenbaugh has guided the Tigers have combined for 20 individual men's NCAA bids (eight in 2015, five in 2014, six in 2013, one in 2012 and zero in 2011). The Mizzou men totaled just five men's swimming bids in the 10 seasons prior to Rhodenbaugh's arrival.
Missouri is also eligible to swim all five relays: the 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay. The Tigers' relay-only swimmers will be announced at a later date.
Mizzou's most decorated men's swimmer in program history, seven-time All-American Tierney will make his third consecutive NCAA appearance after earning invites in both the 100 and 200 breast. The senior enters the meet seeded second in the 100 breast (51.64) and sixth in the 200 breast (1:52.67), events he placed fifth and eighth, respectively, at last year's Championships. He will also swim the 50 free.
Chadwick also claimed invitations in two different events, the 100 and 200 free, to earn his first individual NCAA Championships berth. Chadwick owns the 16th-best time in the 100 free (42.70) and is ranked 27th in the 200 free (1:34.47), and will also swim the 50 free at NCAAs. As a member of Mizzou's relays at the 2014 Championships, he earned two honorable mention All-America honors as a freshman.
For the second straight season, Griffin claimed an NCAA bid in the 200 back. This year, the sophomore owns the sixth-best time in the Championships field in the event after a 1:40.17 at the SEC Championships. Griffin is also eligible to swim the 100 back at the meet.
A big swim at the recent American Short Course Championships in the 200 breast boosted Kozlovskij into the NCAA field for the third time in his career. The senior's time of 1:54.12 ranks him 14th in the Championships field, an event he placed 11th in 2013. Kozlovskij will also compete in the 100 breast and 200 IM at NCAAs.
Darragh will return to the Championships for the second time in his career, joining a berth when he was a sophomore in 2013. The senior qualified for NCAAs in the 200 fly (1:42.56) with the 14th-fastest time in the field and missed an invite in the 400 IM by just one spot. In addition to the200 fly and 400 IM, Darragh will also swim the 200 IM at the Championships.
Joining Darragh as a 200 fly qualifier is Phillips, who earned his first career NCAA bid. He dropped a big 1:42.93 at the SEC Championships to claim his invite and enter the meet seeded 17th in the event. Also on Phillips' schedule at NCAAs is the 200 free.
Margritier claimed his first career NCAA invitation in the 50 free and owns the 18th-best time in the field with a 19.41. He will also swim the 100 free at the Championships.
Also earning his first Championships berth is Graviss, who punched his NCAA ticket with a bid in the 400 IM. The junior swam a 3:44.86 at SECs to claim his spot in the field, and will also compete in the 200 fly and 200 IM at the meet.