Feb. 24, 2008
Final Stats
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy's Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.) capped off a record-setting weekend by qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in the 50-meter freestyle, Sunday morning at the Navy Long Course Meet held in Lejeune Hall.
Dinh advanced to the trials by posting a time of 26.30 in the event Sunday morning. A long course (50-meter length pool) time of 26.39 was needed to qualify for the trials in the 50 free.
"I am really excited about qualifying for the trials," said Dinh. "I've wanted this for a long time. I grew up watching the trials and the Olympics and I never thought I would be there myself."
"Thuy-Mi is another one of our athletes who is setting new standards for our program," said Navy women's swimming head coach John Morrison, the 2007 and '08 Patriot League Women's Swimming Coach of the Year. "The other athletes on the team see what she is accomplishing and it inspires them. What Thuy-Mi has achieved this weekend is a big step towards receiving national recognition in the swimming world for herself, our program and the entire Naval Academy."
Dinh rewrote the Navy and Patriot League record books over the past three days at the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championship. She broke the school and league records in the trial heats of the 50-yard freestyle Thursday morning, then broke those marks again later that evening in winning the final of event with a time of 22.37. The trial heats of the 100 freestyle saw her set new Navy and league records in the event to enter Saturday night's final as the top-seeded swimmer. She would go on to lower the standards even more during the final by posting a winning time of 49.91.
She became the first swimmer in league history to go under 23 seconds in the 50 free and the first to record a sub-50 second time in the 100 free.
Additionally at the championship, Dinh helped the Mids set new Navy and league records in winning the 400 freestyle relay, win the 200 freestyle relay, place second in the 400 medley relay and record a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay.
"Before I came to Navy I was swimming just for fun," said Dinh. "I was kind of stuck on a plateau. But I have improved a lot since coming here and have since set new goals for myself, like going to the NCAA Championship and the Olympic Trials. I had a lot of confidence coming into this weekend."
The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials will be held June 29-July 6 in Omaha, Neb. Dinh will have a lot of company at the event as she one of four current or former Navy swimmers who have posted qualifying times for the trials. Current sophomore Mallory Dietrich (Pittsburgh, Pa.) has qualified in the 100 breaststroke, Kevin Mukri, a 2007 Navy graduate, has qualified in the 100 backstroke, and Joe Smutz from the Class of 2006 will compete in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.
