Two swimmers turn in strong performances at NCAA Championships


Johanna Gustafsdottir finishes her FIU career with six school records and 13 conference championship titles.

Johanna Gustafsdottir finishes her FIU career with six school records and 13 conference championship titles.

By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

It didn’t hit Johanna Gustafsdottir that her collegiate swimming career was over until a day after the NCAA Championships when the senior was surfing Facebook.

She received a notification informing her that she had been added to the FIU Swimming & Diving team’s alumni member Facebook page – and all of a sudden it became very real.

“It just didn’t sink in until that moment. I was like ‘Wait, what?’” she laughs. “I wish I had another year.”

Over the weekend in Greensboro, N.C., Gustafsdottir competed in her fourth and final NCAA Championship. She represented FIU along with freshman swimmer Silvia Scalia, who made a strong debut in the national championship meet.

Gustafsdottir kicked off the competition with strong start, finishing in the top half of 60 competitors in the 200 individual medley preliminaries; and amongst mid-major schools, she was the top finisher.

She also competed in the 400 individual medley and the 200 breaststroke, the latter being the final race of her exceptional collegiate career.

“I went in there with everything and I’m as happy as I can be,” Gustafsdottir said.

Gustafsdottir, who plans on graduating this winter with a degree in sports management, completes her career as one of the best swimmers in program history. She leaves with six school records and 13 conference championship titles to her name as she looks to continue her swim career.

Scalia made a strong NCAA Championships debut, breaking school records in the 100 backstroke and the 200 backstroke with times of 52.46 seconds and 1 minute, 53.54 seconds, respectively. Both were records Scalia set herself a month earlier at Conference USA championships.

While this year may have been Gustafsdottir’s final NCAA appearance, there is a strong chance this could be just a glimpse of things to come for Scalia.

“To be around so many great swimmers and to be a part of this incredible event with some of the best swimmers in the country was exciting,” Scalia said. “I was glad to have the chance to be there.”