ANNAPOLIS, Md. â€"â€" Eleven current or former members of the Navy swimming program will head to Omaha, Neb., this week to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The meet that determines this summer's Olympic Team runs June 26-July 3 at the CenturyLink Center. All of the facility's 14,000 available seats have been sold for every session of the eight-day meet.

Over 1,800 swimmers have qualified for this year's Trials by meeting the time standard in an event since July 30, 2014. Those 1,800 swimmers represent one-half of one percent of all registered U.S.A. Swimming members.

"We could not be happier to be part of this great meet," said Navy men's swimming head coach Bill Roberts. "Every four years, it gets more difficult to qualify for it, and the meet itself keeps getting better and better. All indications point toward the 2016 Trials as potentially being the best in terms of both competitiveness and fan experience. To be part of this meet while representing the United States Naval Academy is a true honor.

"The guys have been very consistent in their training and we are looking forward to getting to the meet to race. We understand the super-competitive nature of this meet and look forward to racing alongside and against the best swimmers in both the United States and the world."

"Once every four years," said Navy women's swimming head coach John Morrison, "the Olympics puts all eyes on our sport and U.S.A. Swimming has been one of the most successful programs over the past 10 Olympiads. There is no doubt that the entire swimming world will be tuned in to the Trials to see who makes the 2016 Olympic team. To have as many of our swimmers qualify, compete and represent the Naval Academy at the pinnacle meet for most swimmers in their career is a tremendous accomplishment for our program. We are extremely proud of the Midshipmen who have qualified for it and equally proud of their teammates who have motivated them day in and day out to be able to compete at this level."

Four Mids will take to the water on the first day of the Trials as Brayden Lauffer (So., Apex, N.C.) will swim in the 400 individual medley, Luke Nelson (So., Providence, R.I.) will compete in the 400 freestyle, Charlotte Meyer (Sr., Bethesda, Md.) will swim in the 400 individual medley event and Marlin Brutkiewicz (Sr., Mobile, Ala.) will take part in the 100 breaststroke. Lauffer (First-Team All-Patriot League in 2016), Nelson and Brutkiewicz (first-team all-league in 2015 and '16) will be making their respective Olympic Trials debuts, while Meyer â€"â€" the 2015 Patriot League Swimmer of the Year â€"â€" previously competed in the 200 back and 200 IM events at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Meyer has overcome a torn ACL in the fall of 2015 to compete at the Olympic Trials (her qualifying time was attained prior to suffering her injury).

"The U.S. Olympic Trials is the second biggest meet in the world (behind the Olympics) where the fastest swimmers in America come to compete," said Brutkiewicz. "To be able to race world record holders and former Olympians with several of my Navy teammates is very exciting and I look forward to seeing how we do."

"I am extremely excited to be swimming at the Olympic Trials for the second time," said Meyer. "I have loved being able to train with my teammates who have made it, especially Lauren Barber (So., New Wilmington, Pa.), who is my training partner for the IM. She pushes me every day and makes practices fun. I am so excited to see how everyone does!"

"The Olympic Trials is one of those once in a lifetime events that you are able to participate in," said Nelson. "I've worked hard all year for this, and could not have asked for a better group of people to train with. The guys on the team pushed me every day way beyond what I thought were my limits, and made swimming fun again. After having watched the Olympic Trials before and hearing of other people's experiences from the meet, I cannot wait to finally experience the unmatches excitement and energy of the meet. I feel privileged to represent a team and a school as great as Navy at the Trials, and hope to show the people what we are all about."

In competition on June 27 will be 2016 graduate David Carlson (Brielle, N.J.) and Ethan King (Sr., Collierville, Tenn.), both of whom will swim in the 100 backstroke event. Carlson garnered all-league accolades as both a junior and senior while King earned second-team laurels in 2015.

"Qualifying for Olympic Trials has always been a lifelong goal since I started my swimming career," said King. "I am thrilled to be competing among the fastest swimmers in the world and honored that I will be representing the U.S. Navy along with several of my best friends and teammates. With only a short time left to train it is exciting yet overwhelming to be preparing for the most competitive meet in the world. I am excited to be competing on such a large stage and eager to compete on the next level."

The Mid with the busiest slate of events is Barber, who will compete in three events over the course of two days. The 2016 Patriot League Rookie of the Year who also competed in three events at this year's NCAA Championship will open the meet on June 27 with the 100 breaststroke before swimming in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley events the following day.

Joining Barber in the women's 100 breaststroke event on June 28 will be 2016 graduate Ellen Bradford (Knoxville, Tenn). The newly minted ensign earned First-Team All-Patriot League honors in each of her four years, was selected as an Academic All-American three times (earned first-team honors in 2015 and '16) and will be attending the Naval Postgraduate School this summer.

Brutkiewicz returns to the water on June 29 for the 200 breaststroke, during which he will compete along with 2014 graduate Luke Hoffer. This will be the second Olympic Trials Hoffer will compete in as he previously swam in the 200 breast four years ago.

Completing the list of Mids who will compete at the Trials are Kenzie Margroum (Sr., Fort Thomas, Ky.) and 2010 graduate Thuy-Mi Dinh, both of whom have qualified for the 50 freestyle which will be contested on July 2. While Margroum, the 2016 Patriot League Swimmer of the Year who has totaled 14 first-place finishes at the league meet, will be making her debut at the meet, Dinh previously swam in the 50 free at the 2008 Olympic Trials, is the lone swimmer in Patriot League history â€"â€" male or female â€"â€" to advance to three NCAA Division I Championship meets and remains the school and league record holder in the 50 free.

"The Olympic Trials is the most prestigious meet in the United States of America," said Margroum. "My dream to swim in this meet began as a little girl. As an eight-and-under swimmer I used to tell my mom that I was swimming at the Olympic Trials, and that's what motivated me to finish my races.

"It is an honor to be swimming at the Olympic Trials and I am so fortunate to share this opportunity with my teammates and coaches. It is the culmination of all of our hard work both in and out of the pool."

"Qualifying for and competing in the 2008 Trials was one of the most exciting moments of my swimming career," said Dinh. "It was a humbling experience being amongst Olympians and other extremely talented athletes. I absolutely loved swimming at Navy but of course my career had to come to an end in 2010 when I graduated and received my commissioning as a Marine Corps officer. But I 'retired' from my swimming career feeling that I wasn't quite finished. I toyed with the idea of trying for 2012 but my obligations as a Marine kept me very busy. When I could, I continued to strength train and compete in triathlons as part of the Marine Corps Triathlon Team as something to do. I left active duty in May 2015 and immediately settled into my civilian job. Finding myself with a more routine schedule, in June of last year I decided to see if I could qualify again for 2016.

"It feels very surreal at times but I am thrilled to be competing at this level again. When I'm in the pool at practice or at a race, surrounded by the team working hard or joking around, and our coaches, John and (assistant coach) Rob Lias, are yelling at us to do a better job, I almost feel like a 19-year-old Midshipman again. Some things don't change. At the Trials, regardless of where I place or if I can achieve another personal best, I will be very happy and grateful. I believe I'll be ready to retire for sure after this."

In addition to the 11 Mids who will be in Omaha, 2016 Navy graduates Jonathan Debaugh (200 butterfly) and Tom Duvall (400 freestyle) also qualified for the Olympic Trials but have chosen to not compete at it.

The Navy program qualified 16 swimmers for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and five for the 2008 edition of the event.

Preliminary heats will be held in each event, with either the top-8 swimmers in the trial heats advancing directly into a final or the top-16 swimmers from the trial heats moving on into one of two semifinal races. Only the first and second-place swimmers in each individual event final are guaranteed a spot on the upcoming 2016 U.S. Olympic Team.

Live results from the entire meet can be found at www.USASwimming.org. Additionally, either NBC or the NBC Sports Network will televise the meet on each of its eight days, with a live stream of every morning preliminary heat session (11 a.m. EDT start) available through the NBC Sports Extra app.

Daily Preliminary Heat Schedule for Navy Swimmers (Television Schedule)
Sunday, June 26 (Prelims: 6-7 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9 p.m. EDT on NBC)
Men's 400 Individual Medley - Brayden Lauffer (Final: June 26)
Men's 400 Freestyle - Luke Nelson (Final: June 26)
Women's 400 Individual Medley - Charlotte Meyer (Final: June 26)
Men's 100 Breaststroke - Marlin Brutkiewicz (Semifinal: June 26; Final: June 27)

Monday, June 27 (Prelims: 6:30-8 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9 p.m. EDT on NBC)
Women's 100 Breaststroke - Lauren Barber, Ellen Bradford (Semifinal: June 27; Final: June 28)
Men's 100 Backstroke - David Carlson, Ethan King (Semifinal: June 27; Final: June 28)

Tuesday, June 28 (Prelims: 7-8 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9 p.m. EDT on NBC)
Women's 200 Freestyle - Lauren Barber (Semifinal: June 28; Final: June 29)
Women's 200 Individual Medley - Lauren Barber (Semifinal: June 28; Final: June 29)

Wednesday, June 29 (Prelims: 7-8 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9 p.m. EDT on NBC)
Men's 200 Breaststroke - Marlin Brutkiewicz, Luke Hoffer (Semifinal: June 29; Final: June 30)

Thursday, June 30 (Prelims: 6:30-8 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9 p.m. EDT on NBC)
No Mids in preliminary heats

Friday, July 1 (Prelims: 6-7 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9 p.m. EDT on NBC)
No Mids in preliminary heats

Saturday, July 2 (Prelims: 5-6:30 p.m. EDT on NBC SN; Finals: 8-9:10 p.m. EDT on NBC SN)
Women's 50 Freestyle - Thuy-Mi Dinh, Kenzie Margroum (Semifinal: July 2; Final: July 3)

Sunday, July 3 (Finals: 8-8:30 p.m. EDT on NBC)
No preliminary heats scheduled