CHENGDU, China – Lily Mead and Joe Hayburn both reached the semifinals of individual races on Thursday at the World University Games in Chengdu, China, each finishing 15^th overall in the round for the United States.
 
The Loyola University Maryland swimmers – Mead will be a senior in 2023-24 and Hayburn a freshman – both qualified earlier in the day out of preliminary heats.
 
Mead went 1:03.39 in the 100-meter backstroke in the preliminary round to qualify 14^th for the semifinals, and she finished with a time of 1:04.48 in the semifinals.
 
Hayburn touched the wall in 25.65 seconds in his 50-meter backstroke heat and then took 15^th in the semifinals in 25.69.
 
Mead is slated to swim for the United States in the 100-meter backstroke, as well, starting on Saturday.