Pitt Panthers Receive A Small Taste of the Olympics

Opening ceremonies for the Olympics are set to take place next Friday.  Everyone is gearing up for their favorite events such as basketball, gymnastics, and swimming.  Three Pitt Panther athletes got a small taste of the Olympics when they were selected to compete in the Olympic Trials a few weeks ago. 


Three University of Pittsburgh swimmers: Luke Nosbisch, Jon Lierley and Austin Caldwell have qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. from June 25-July 2 at the CenturyLink Center. 

The top two finishers in every individual event at the U.S. Olympic Trials will advance to the to the 2012 London Olympic Games as a member of the USA Olympic team.

A local product from Monroeville, Pa., Nosbisch qualified for the Olympic Trials in both the 100M and 200M breaststroke events. Last summer, he recorded a 2:20.15 finish at the Erik Namesnik Senior Circuit meet in the 200M breast. He also earned a time of 1:04.25 in the 100M breast at the 

USA Speedo Championship Series/Eastern Zone South Regional this March. During his rookie season, Nosbisch advanced to the consolation finals at the Big East Championships in the 100M breast (13th) and the 200M breast (10th). He narrowly missed the consolation finals in the 500M free at the conference meet.

Lierley first qualified for the Olympic Trials when he won the 200M butterfly with a time of 2:01.81 at Senior Sectionals in Athens, Ga. Voted the squad’s co-MVP, the Mount Pleasant, S.C. native swam the team's fastest time in the 200M fly this season. He recorded a fourth-place and NCAA B cut in the 200M fly (1:46.40) at the Big East Championship. That time eclipsed the previous school record (1:46.72) and the freshman standard. Lierley also placed seventh in the 100M fly and 11th in the 200M IM at the Big East Championship.

A freestyler from Loveland, Ohio, Caldwell qualified for the Trials in the 50M free during the USA Swimming Sectionals held at Busbey Natatorium last July. Caldwell won the event and was the only swimmer to touch the wall in less than 24 seconds during the prelims of the 50M free. This past season, Caldwell recorded the team’s fastest time in the 50M free (20.63). He advanced to the consolation finals of the 50M free at the Big East Championship and placed 11th overall. Caldwell also finished eighth in the 100 fly and narrowly missed the finals for the 100M free. He served as the lead leg of the 200M free relay and anchored of the 400M free relay at the conference meet. Both teams finished fourth.

In addition to the three U.S qualifiers, Kourosh Ahani (Richmond Hill, Toronto) earned an alternate seed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. An All-Big East performer, Ahani placed second in the 100M fly (54.08) during the Canadian Olympic Trials in late March and will compete in several international meets as a member of the Canadian National Team.

The Three Pitt Athletes did not qualify for the Olympics this year, but we look forward to them competing in the next Olympic Trials in 2016.   For more information please go to the University of Pittsburgh Athletics Website.