JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Three members of the Carson-Newman swim team are prepping for the nation's grandest stage this week as they get set to swim at the AT&T US Winter National Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
Sophomore Kent Eldreth (Knoxville, Tenn.) and seniors Ben Young (Morristown, Tenn.) and Stephen Parsons (Auburn, Ala.) will be swimming amongst some of the best American swimmers in Greensboro, N.C.
"This meet we are going to is a USA Swimming meet, which is different than a NCAA. They coexist at this level, but this is where Olympians, such as Katie Ledecky and Cullen Jones, will be there," swim coach Paige McCord said. "To really have our athletes go and have qualified at a certain level at the senior national cut to compete against them is huge for our program.
Additionally with these young men, it was a dream, a boyhood dream for them to be at this level."
Eldreth will be swimming in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke, two events in which he holds the Carson-Newman school record. Two weeks ago at the Fall Frenzy, Eldreth swam the 100 Breast in 55.68 and the 200 in 2:01.99.
Parsons's lone event will be the 100 Freestyle. He owns the school record with a time of 45.12 that was set at the Fall Frenzy. The Alabama-native also possesses the school record in the 200 Free.
Young will compete in the 50 and 100 Freestyle while in the Tar Heel State. Young has the school record in the 50 Free with a time of 20.46 that he set last season. This season, he set the team's best time with a 20.69 at the Fall Frenzy. His best time this season is five-hundredths of the school record with a 45.17.
"Believe it or not, they are actually set up to go faster than Fall Frenzy, which I don't know I can believe either," McCord said. "We are looking forward to some strong races out of them as well."
The three Eagles will be swimming Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. Stay tuned to cneagles.com for the latest information from the 2014 AT&T US Winter National Championships.
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