MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Freshman Olivia Busch and junior William Mullen of the West Virginia University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are set to compete at the 2023 USA Swimming Open Water Nationals from April 21-23, in Sarasota, Florida.
Busch and Mullen will compete in the 10k on Friday, beginning at 8 a.m. ET, while Mullen is also set to compete in the 5k on Sunday, beginning at 7:35 a.m.
“It’s great to continue to have our teams competing at various National Championships this spring,” coach Vic Riggs said. “Gabriela (Martin) had a strong showing at Spanish Nationals last month, we have Will and Olivia competing at USA Swimming Open Water Nationals this weekend and Ada (Szwabinska) will be competing at Polish Nationals next week.”
“Olivia and Will have done a great job this spring training to prepare for the Open Water Nationals. This is a great opportunity for them, and we are looking forward to seeing them compete,” he continued.
Last time out, Busch finished 13th at the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of American (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships with the women’s 800 free relay team of sophomore Miranda Kirtley, freshman Ada Szwabinska and sophomore Morgan Burton, finishing with a time of 7:26.76. Additionally, the Woodlands, Texas, native placed 35th (17:16.16) in the 1,650-yard freestyle.
At the 2023 Big 12 Championships in Austin, Texas, Mullen represented WVU in the men’s 1,650-yard freestyle earning a silver medal and a new program record, with a time of 15:20.04. Additionally, Mullen added a bronze medal with the men’s 800 freestyle relay team of senior Roanoke Shirk, freshmen Max Nielsen and Jamin Harlan, before finishing seventh (4:27.06) in the 500 free.
During the 2022-23 season, the Fairfax Station, Virginia, native was named Big 12 Men’s Swimmer of the Week after securing a pair of first-place finishes and one second-place finish at the West Virginia State Games on October 14-15.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUSwimDive on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
