Virginia Tech has a pair of men’s swimmers who will take advantage of the NCAA waiver that awards all athletes who competed in the 2020-2021 collegiate season an extra year of eligibility because of the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virginia native Thomas Hallock and Sweden native Sam Tornqvist have both entered graduate school at Virginia Tech, and will be exercising their 5th year eligibility. Additionally both swimmers are current school record holders.
Hallock is a sprint freestyler who qualified for Men’s NCAA’s last season. At NCAA’s Hallock finished 30th in prelims of the 50 free. He’s also the Virginia Tech school record-holder with his personal best of 19.32.
Hallock also made the A final in the 50 free at the 2021 ACC Championships, swimming a 19.48 to finish 6th. He also made the B final in the 100 free. At the 2020 ACC Championships, Hallock finished 5th in the 50 free (19.49), and 8th in the 100 free (43.14).
Hallock has competed internationally for Switzerland as well. He’s raced at the Swiss Short Course Championships and the LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships in previous years.
Here are Hallock’s lifetime best times (SCY):
- 50 free – 19.32
- 100 free – 42.90
- 100 back – 47.72
- 100 breast – 54.74
Sam Tornqvist is an IM and backstroker for Virginia Tech who qualified for the B final of the 200 back at the 2021 Men’s NCAAs, finishing 12th. He also swam a lifetime best 46.31 in the 100 back at the 2021 NCAAs. Hallock is the Virginia Tech school record-holder in the men’s 200 back (1:40.10).
Tornqvist finished 3rd in the 200 back at the 2021 men’s ACC Championships, and 11th in both the 100 back and 200 IM. In total, he’s made 6 individual appearances in ACC Championships A finals.
Here are Tornqvists SCY lifetime best times:
- 100 back – 46.31
- 200 back – 1:40.10
- 200 IM – 1:43.75
- 400 IM – 3:46.51
In October 2020, the NCAA granted all winter sport athletes the option to use an extra year of eligibility following complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, Division I student-athletes have a 5-year window during which they can use up their four seasons of eligibility. However, given the current situation with COVID-19, student-athletes of all class years have been offered an additional season of eligibility, regardless of where they are in their 5-year window. For a detailed breakdown on what the stakes are surrounding a 5th-year decision in 2021, click here.