Gardner-Webb's Nathan Lile Achieves Olympic Trials Qualifying Time In 100m Butterfly
July 14, 2015 | Swimming
ATHENS, Ga. – Gardner-Webb rising senior Nathan Lile continued to impress this summer, achieving his first Olympic Trials qualifying time in the 100m butterfly this past weekend at the 2015 USA Swimming/Speedo Senior Sectional Meet in Athens, Ga.
Lile (Waynesville, N.C. / Home School) posted a time of 54.79 in a time trial after narrowly missing the mark in the finals – by a scant .04 seconds. The standout also made finals in the 50m free with a time of 23.49 seconds and 100m back (57.4 seconds).
All three times were lifetime bests for Lile.
Lile is the second Gardner-Webb swimmer to post a qualifying time for the Olympic Trials, following in the footsteps of All-American Terra Wilson – who swam in the 2008 Olympic Trials. Lile is the first men's swimmer to accomplish the feat and is fast becoming one of the all-time greats for a men's program that started competing in 2007-2008.
Lile enjoyed a terrific 2014-2015 season in the pool for the Runnin' Bulldogs, leading his team to a third-place finish at the 2015 Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA) Championships.
Lile was named CCSA Most Outstanding Male Swimmer and the CCSA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year – becoming the first male swimmer in GWU history to earn the academic award. He finished third in the 200 IM, first in the 100 butterfly (NCAA "B" time) and first in the 100 free (NCAA "B" time and meet record).
He established five individual school records and was part of relay teams that shattered four more records in the pool.
In May, Lile was named 2014-2015 Capital One Academic All-District III (At-Large) and was chosen by the College Swim Coaches of America as an honorable mention Academic All-American.
