INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 23, 2022) – Three Oklahoma Christian swimmers made the field for individual events in the NCAA Division II Championships and four others will compete in the meet on OC relay teams, according to the qualifying lists released Wednesday.

Freshman Victor Rosado will swim in four individual events at the meet – set for March 9-12 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C. – while freshman J.T. Amrein and junior Brandon Heredia will compete in three events each. They are the first three OC swimmers ever to qualify for the Division II meet in individual events in the program's five-season history.

Joining Rosado, Heredia and Amrein in swimming in relay events for the Eagles will be freshmen Chase Fields, Dereck Montgomery, Felix Berling and Caleb Musser.

"It's very exciting and rewarding to be taking our first group to nationals this year and to do it with a group of this size makes it even more special," OC assistant coach Noah Yanchulis said.

"In my four years here, this is the most focused I have ever seen our team and it is in large part due to our talented freshman class, but the upperclassmen have stepped up as well and have been a catalyst for the continual improvement of our program. While this may be our first trip to the NCAAs, it will not be our last. We're just getting started."

Rosado, from St. Petersburg, Fla., emerged this semester as one of Division II's top freestyle distance swimmers. He qualified for the national meet in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:04.82, ranking second nationally), the 500 freestyle (4:25.85, ranking 13th nationally) and the 1,650 freestyle (15:25.85, ranking sixth nationally). Because he qualified in those three events, he'll also be able to swim the 200 freestyle, in which he posted a NCAA B qualifying time of 1:37.49, which ranks 22nd in Division II.

Amrein, from Bonner Springs, Kan., made the NCAA field in three events and ranks No. 1 in Division II in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:55.22. He also ranks fourth in the 100 breaststroke (53.14 seconds) and eighth in the 200 individual medley (1:46.95).

Heredia, from Maryville, Mo., ranks fourth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:36.18. Making the field for that event means he'll be able to also swim in the 100 freestyle (43.91 seconds, 22nd in Division II) and 50 freestyle (20.25 seconds, 38th in Division II), as he met B time standards in both events.

Fields, from Tyler, Texas, missed by one spot the cut to make the field in the 500 freestyle, as he ranks 22nd in Division II with a time of 4:27.69. He was listed as the sixth alternate overall for the meet, although alternates rarely end up having the opportunity to compete in individual events.

The Eagles qualified for the NCAA meet in four relays – the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 400 medley. OC's 200 freestyle relay team will be Montgomery (from Rosenberg, Texas), Berling (from Meppen, Germany), Heredia and Amrein, a quartet that ranks 18th in Division II at 1:21.02.

The 400 freestyle relay team, which ranks 17th in Division II at 2:58.60, will be Musser (from Overland Park, Kan.), Amrein, Heredia and Montgomery. Swimming the 800 freestyle relay for OC will be Fields, Musser, Rosado and Heredia. The Eagles rank sixth in Division II in that event with a time of 6:31.72.

The Eagles' 400 medley relay team will be Montgomery, Amrein, Fields and Heredia, a group that ranks 12th in Division II at 3:14.10.