Alvin Jiang to Return for Fifth Year with Texas Longhorns
The University of Texas’ Alvin Jiang will be returning to compete for a fifth year during the upcoming collegiate season. Jiang announced the news in an Instagram post Saturday. Jiang, a native of Colleyville, Texas, began his college career at the University of North Carolina before transferring closer to home to compete for Texas. And Jiang has made huge strides and become an impact performer for the Longhorns.
Jiang finished fourth in the 100 butterfly and also in the 100 backstroke at this year’s NCAA championships, and he was also a scorer for Texas in the 200 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay and a pair of medley relays. This NCAAs was Jiang’s first, even though he was technically a senior (although he would have competed at NCAAs in 2020 if not for the meet’s cancellation).
The Longhorns will be going for a second straight national championship and 16th title oveall, and Jiang will surely be a big part of that effort. However, with swimmers allowed to return to compete in a fifth year in NCAA competition because of complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can expect that most of Jiang’s main collegiate rivals will be in the mix again next year, although many have not declared so publicly.
Texas had expected to chase this year’s NCAA title without legendary coach Eddie Reese, who retired in March, but Reese reconsidered his decision in June and was officially confirmed to be continuing as head coach the next day.