GREENSBORO, N.C. — Four athletes on the men's swim & dive team achieved All-American Honorable Mention on Friday after placing 14th in the 800-yard freestyle relay at the NCAA Championships. The group, made up of first-year Simon Hu and juniors Leo Yang, Christopher Pukszta and Naci Keskin, posted a 6:43.05 time in the race. The team earned the All-American honor by placing in the top-16 of finishers.

Yang led off the race for the Beavers, with Hu racing second and Pukzta swimming third. Keskin anchored the team in the relay's final leg, recording a scorching 1:39.45 split and securing them the All-American distinction. Keskin holds the school record in the 200-yard freestyle (1:38.82), a time he notched last fall. The three upperclassmen were a part of the school record-breaking 800-yard freestyle relay squad last season (6:39.55).

Head coach Andy Brabson was thrilled with the four athletes' result at the National Meet and commended how they competed throughout the year.

"I am very proud of Leo, Simon, Chris, and Naci," said Brabson. "They worked extremely hard this season and qualifying for NCAAs alone was a major accomplishment. To move up a couple places from where they were seeded (16th to 14th) and solidify All-American status is a testament to their work ethic and determination."

Outside of their historic relay result, the four swimmers would also compete in the 200-yard medley relay, which was held on Wednesday. The group tapped the wall at a time of 1:34.09.

The foursome would again link back up on Thursday to race in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The group earned a blazing time of 1:24.07, just .58 seconds slower than the school record attained by Yang, Keskin and Pukstza last year.

The team put in a solid fight in the 400-yard medley relay as well, finishing with a time of 3:27.17. The group raced their final four-person race on Saturday, earning a 3:04.79 result in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Beyond the relay races, three of the Beavers would compete individually across multiple events. Keskin and Hu would take on the 200-yard freestyle, with Keskin tapping the wall at 1:40.39 and Hu following soon after with a time of 1:41.31. Keskin also participated in the 100-yard freestyle (46.55).

Yang took to the pool as an individual as well, earning a 16:25.00 time in the 1650-meter freestyle.

The Beavers will now take a well-deserved rest before returning to competition in the fall.