After a solid performance at the AT&T Short Course National Championships last weekend at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash., senior Bryson Chiu (Carmel, Ind.) has been named the Featured Student-Athlete of the Week on GoSeattleU.com.
Individually, Chiu nearly qualified for the evening finals of the 200 breaststroke, finishing in 26th place with a time of 2:03.79. He also finished in 44th place in the 200 individual medley (1:52.61), in a tie for 54th place in the 100 backstroke (52.21), and in 73rd place in the 100 butterfly (52.01).
Chiu also participated in two of the three relays Seattle University qualified for. On Friday, he swam the second leg of the 200 medley relay, helping the team qualify for the evening finals with a 15th-place finish in the preliminaries with a time of 1:34.27. In the "B" final, he helped the squad finish in seventh place, posting a time of 1:34.44. In the final event of the meet Saturday, the 400 freestyle relay, Chiu swam the third leg as Seattle University finished in 11th place with a time of 3:05.29.
"Bryson may be one of the most talented athletes to support SU swimming," head coach Craig Mallery said. "The talent is augmented by a stellar work ethic, confidence supported by appropriate humility and a commitment to the greater value of 'team'. He has played a significant role in bringing SU swimming to higher levels nationally."
Chiu is majoring in digital design and currently has a 3.333 grade point average. He was a three-time All-American during the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships, finishing fourth in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 200 breaststroke. This is the second time Chiu has earned Featured Student-Athlete honors, previously receiving the award on Jan. 22, 2008. He is the eighth Seattle University student-athlete and third swimmer to be a two-time recipient of the weekly honor since it was established in August 2007.
Chiu and his teammates will begin preparations for the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships in Long Beach, Calif., in February, first facing Simon Fraser and Concordia in the Senior Day meet Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Connolly Center Pool beginning at 1 p.m.
The Seattle University athletic department will name a Student-Athlete of the Week each Tuesday based on a student-athlete's performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom. The department is presently in Year Two of the reclassification process towards moving up to NCAA Division I status.