Loyola sophomore Ben Cano recently made a university milestone. Cano qualified to swim at the NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships , the first Greyhound swimmer or diver to qualify for the competition. The championships will be held on Friday March 25, and Saturday, March 26 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Cano qualified for the NCAA’s by posting a time of 52.92 in the 100 Breaststroke at the completed Patriot League Championships, which were hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy back in February. His 100 Breaststroke time is also a Loyola School record. Cano also holds the record for the 200 Breaststroke, with a time of 1:57.97. That record was set in December of 2015.
Cano transferred from NC State after spending one season with the Wolfpack of the Atlantic Coast Conference. After an injury-filled first season, he decided to go home and work on his craft. Once he was home, Loyola and U.S. Paralympic Coach Brian Loeffler contacted him and their successful relationship began.
In a recent interview with the Loyola Athletics Department, Cano said “I knew I wanted to be in the Patriot League to be able to compete against Army and Navy…When I started looking at schools (Post transfer) Coach Loeffler was the first to call me back…”
Loyola’s men’s swimming team ended this year’s Patriot League season finishing in 5th place. Meanwhile, Loyola’s women finished 7th out of a 10-team Patriot League.
Cano, a native of Smithtown, New York, cites Loyola’s Brian Loeffler, current Loyola freshman swimmer John Callaghan, and Chad Onken, his club coach from home, as his biggest swimming mentors who have gotten him to where he is today.
When commenting about swimming in a finals setting like the NCAA’s, Cano said, “I’m a finals swimmer…at a championship meet, I will always go faster.”
Loyola MD athletics contributed to this report (Quotes and Information)
Photo courtesy of the Loyola MD athletic site
