ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana senior Jared Ekberg (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) will be competing in three events at this year's NCAA Division III Swimming Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina later this month. A school record holder in five individual events and as part of four relays, Ekberg will swim the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle at the national meet on March 21, 22 and 23, respectively.
 
Ekberg's  school-record 100 backstroke time of :49.06 at this year's CCIW Championships ranked eighth in the nation and he will be looking to become the first Viking swimming All-American since Tom Hancock (200 breaststroke) in 1986. His record time was recorded on the opening leg of the 400 medley relay. He also captured this year's 100 backstroke title with a clocking of :49.43.
 
Augustana Coach Dan Lloyd expressed his excitement. "This is an tremendous accomplishment for Jared.  Representing our program and Augustana at the NCAA meet is the perfect ending to his storied career here. It is truly an honor to have coached Jared over the last four years.  This is an historic moment for our program and a testament to the success of our team by bringing out the best in each other by always striving for excellence in everything we do."
 
Ekberg, who won a conference title in the 200 individual medley as a freshman in 2016, also holds school marks in the 50 freestyle (:21.00) and 100 freestyle (:45.79)—both set at this year's CCIW Championships—as well as the 200 backstroke (1:50.86) and 200 individual medley (1:51.67).
 
As a freshman, Ekberg swam the lead leg on school-record 200 (1:33.59) and 400 (3:24.87) medley relays, anchored the record 400 freestyle relay (3:06.27) and handled leg two on Augustana's 200 freestyle relay (1:24.39) mark.