GREENSBORO, N.C. – Brandeis University junior Sam Dienstag of Wilmette, Illinois, earned his second career All-America honors today, placing 13th in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2023 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

With his 13th-place finish, Dienstag became the first Judge to score points at the NCAA Championships since 2004. His previous All-America honor, which came in 2021, was based on post-season rankings. Dienstag is the second male in program history to earn All-America honors as a swimmer, joining Chris Pai. 

Seeded seventh coming into the meet, Dienstag finished fifth in his heat and 12th overall in the preliminaries with a time of 4:27.88, about a second-and-a-half off his school-record time of 4:26.13. In the consolation finals again finished fifth, placing 13th overall with a time of 4:28.31. 

"Today was a great day for Sam and for Brandeis as a program," said head coach Nicole Carter. "All his discipline in the pool combined with the work he put in to be stronger mentally paid off today with this finish."

Dienstag earned four points for the Judges, who are tied for 22nd place in the team standings.

"It's very hard to score at a national championship meet," Carter added. "We are incredibly proud of Sam getting Brandeis on the board for the first time in almost 20 years, and we are excited for the rest of the week."

THURSDAY UPDATE

Dienstag finished eighth in his heat and 34th overall in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:42.01. That was about three seconds off his school-record qualifying time and did not get him into the evening finals.

On Saturday, Dienstag will compete in his specialty, the 1,650-yard freestyle, an event in which he enters the meet as the fourth seed, at approximately 6:20 p.m.