Queens University of Charlotte sophomore Matt Josa is planning to sit out the 2015-16 collegiate season in preparation for 2016 Olympic Trials. Queens head coach Jeff Dugdale, who is also Director of High Performance at SwimMAC Elite, confirmed with SwimSwam that, indeed, they “had that plan from the beginning.”
Josa led the Queens Royals to their first-ever NCAA Division II team title this season, breaking a ten-year streak in which the title had belonged only to the Drury Panthers. Josa won four events and broke three NCAA D2 records and was given the men’s Swimmer of the Meet award. In the 200 IM, he broke the record with 1:41.94, 19th fastest swim of all-time, and 2 seconds faster than the previous mark which he set in at the 2014 meet. Josa then topped that with the tenth-fastest 100 fly ever, going 44.89 to lower his own D2 record. His third NCAA D2 mark came with a 1:42.96 victory in the 200 fly. While he also won the 200 back at NCAAs (in Division II you can swim 4 individual events), he just missed lowering his own record, set in his freshman season.
At the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships, Josa finished fourth in the 50m fly (23.67) and seventh in the 100m fly (52.57, but 52.25 in prelims). He ended the season with the following LCM rankings:
| Event | 2014 | US Rank |
| 100m fly | 52.24 | 7 |
| 200m IM | 2:02.66 | 24 |
| 100m back | 56.59 | 52 |
So far this season he has posted the 16th-fastest 100m fly (53.32). He is entered in six events this weekend in the Arena Pro Swim Series at Charlotte: 100 free, 100 breast, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 IM.
Josa has made significant progress in just about every event over the last two seasons. He will continue along that path by staying in Charlotte and training full-time with David Marsh, Jeff Dugdale, and SwimMAC Elite.
“Circumvention is called “Captains Practice”.
And people get in big trouble if they miss a “captains practice”
I just can’t figure out how SwimMAC/Queens can operate their system within NCAA compliance restrictions. Josa has openly discussed training with the club during the collegiate season in interviews and even mentions that it is allowed in Division II. It seems as though Ortega did as well. I don’t know what exactly is going on but the NCAA Division II rule book clearly states in 17.18.9.1.2.1 that a collegiate coach cannot be involved with a club in which student athletes with remaining eligibility participate during the academic year. Furthermore, in 13.11.2.4 it states that a coach cannot assign an athlete to another coach of the club, meaning it’s not ok for Dugdale to assign his athletes to Marsh. Even if… Read more »
13.11.2.4 Local Sports Clubs. In sports other than basketball, an institution’s coach may be involved as a participant or in instructional or coaching activities in the same sport for a local sports club or organization lo- cated in the institution’s home community, provided all prospective student-athletes participating in said activi- ties are legal residents of the area (within a 100-mile radius of the institution). Further, in club teams involving multiple teams or multiple sports, the 100-mile radius is applicable only to the team with which the institution’s coach is involved; however, it is not permissible for the coach to assign a prospective student-athlete who lives outside the 100-mile area to another coach of the club. A coach may be involved… Read more »
Arguably his two best events are 50 fly and 100 IM.
Would love to see him try the SCM circuit (unfortunately there won’t be much of one next year)
Josa definitely has the potential to make the Olympic team, primarily in the 100 fly. With his 50 fly time, he has enough speed to compete in the 100 with big time drops the last 2 years. There always seems to be a few people who surprise everyone and make the team. Most are talking about Phelps, Lochte, Conger…maybe someone else steals a spot.
The biggest obstacle for taking a year off to train is moving, living arrangements…but he already lives at Queens/SwimMAC so that makes this a small transition and a “why not” situation. Wish him the best, good reppin for DII !!
Also, Josa was 1:34.21 in the 200 and 42.75 in the 100 his freshmen year, so there’s a long shot he could make a relay.
After Chase Kalisz, Katie Ledecky, Abbey Weitzeil, Santo Condorelli, Dylan Carter and Matthew Josa, now it’s the turn of Caeleb Dressel, Jack Conger, Joe Schooling, Matias Koski, Andrew Seliskar, Gunnar Bentz, Reed Malone, Ryan Murphy, Josh Prenot, Kristian Gkolomeev, Blake Pieroni, Dylan Bosh, Thomas Dahlia, Matt Ellis, Dylan Bosh, Will Licon, Clark Smith, Townley Haas, Carsten Vissering, Liz Pelton, Brittany MacLean, Marina Garcia, Kierra Smith, Noemie Thomas, Olivia Smoliga, Lia Neal, Simone Manuel, Kelsi Worrell, Béryl Gastaldello, Cierra Runge, Chelsea Chenault, Farida Osman, Kylie Stewart, Laura Simon, Hali Flickinger, Lilly King, Clara Smiddy, Lisa Bratton, Leah Smith, Amy Bilquist, Kathleen Baker, Katie McLaughlin and Rachel Bootsma to do the same.
Most of you have the opportunity to qualify for the… Read more »
Sometimes the swimmers who “shouldnt” make the Olympics do. Ive seen a lot of foreign nationals who were miles away from qualifying make the b or a standards and represent their countries.
Think about Clement Lefert. He was a virtual lock not to make the team in a sprint freestyle event and went on to be on the 4×100 relay. He must have dropped 1.5+ seconds in the 100 in a year because he had to do it to win gold.
For relay it is a bit easier, you need to be top 6, so 100 and 200 free are easier, the problem are the other events, it is not just making A cut, is being top 2.
Good for Matt! Chase your dreams. It’s what we should all do. If you make it – awesome! You are an example to the up and comers to chase what you believe in. If you don’t, what have you lost? Nothing. You spent a year training with the best of the best and being an example to the up and comers to chase their dreams. Go Matt!
Great News! Fly events in Div2 are wide open for me to come in next year haha jk
Oh jezus the experts are out again
The comments section was open to all the last time I checked….no expert qualification required.