Andrej Barna

Andrej Barna jumps off the blocks for the 50 free at ACCs.

Photo by: Karl L. Moore

Weight:
null
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Subotica, Serbia
High School:
ESS Bosa Milicevic

Senior: After sitting out the first semester, Barna picked up right where he left off and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 freestyle before the meet was cancelled. At the ACC Championships, he tied for third in the 100 freestyle (42.69), eighth in the 50 freestyle (19.97), and 10th in the 200 freestyle (1:34.27). He split a 1:33.29 on the Cardinals’ winning 800 freestyle relay, a 19.09 on the 200 freestyle relay that earned silver, and a 42.81 on the runner-up 400 freestyle relay at ACCs. Barna also anchored the winning 400 medley relay in 41.92 that set a new ACC meet and pool record. He picked up a win in the 100 freestyle (43.79) against Northwestern and registered a trio of second-place finishes throughout the dual meet season. At the 2020 Louie Awards, Barna received the Comeback Athlete of the Year honor. For his performances in both the pool and in the classroom, Barna was awarded ACC Honor Roll and CSCAA Scholar All-America honors. He was also named to the CSCAA All-American team in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay, and 400 medley relay.

Junior: In his junior season, Barna established himself as one of the top sprinters in the ACC. At the NCAA Championships, he posted a career-best 14th place finish with a time of 19.30 to earn Honorable Mention All-American honors for the second consecutive season. Barna was also a mainstay on the Cards’ All-American relays at the NCAA Championships, competing on the 200 free, 400 free, 200 medley and 400 medley relays. At ACCs, he collected a silver medal in the 50 free with a time of 19.27, while also adding a ninth place finish in the 200 free and a 10th place showing in the 100 free. Additionally, he was a member of the gold medal winning 400 free relay, the silver-medal medley relays and the bronze medal 200 free relay. At the Indiana Invitational, Barna recorded three top-eight finishes, highlighted by a fifth place in the 50 free. He also registered a third place finish in the 50 free at the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Throughout the dual meet season, he tallied seven first place finishes, including a sweep of the 50 and 100 free in the wins over Tennessee and Virginia. Barna also added a strong performance in the classroom, earning a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team.

Sophomore: Barna had a breakout year for the Cardinals in his sophomore season, developing into one of the top sprinters in the ACC. At the NCAA Championships, he placed 16th in the 50 free (19.50), while also swimming all five relays for the Cardinals. He scored a staggering 73 points for Louisville at the ACC Championships, earning the bronze medal in the 50 free (19.16) after setting the school record at 19.15 in the prelims. Barna also placed sixth in the 100 free (42.82) and eighth in the 200 free (1:36.36) at ACCs. At the Winter National Championships, he notched a bronze medal in the 50 free (19.44), and also placed in the top-eight in the 100 free and 200 free. In the Cards’ winning 200 medley relay, he anchored with a blazing 18.54 split to secure the gold medal. Barna also competed for Serbia at the European Championships, qualifying for semifinals in the 50-meter free (22.27), while also swimming the 100-meter free (49.76) and splitting a 48.78 in the 4x100-meter free relay. Barna was instrumental in the Cards’ win over Kentucky, winning both the 50 (19.89) and 100 (44.29) free. He also won both sprint free events in the meet against Tennessee. For his performances both in the pool and in the classroom, Barna was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American and to the All-ACC Academic Team.

Freshman: Barna made an immediate impact for the Cardinals in both the relays and sprint free events. He qualified for the NCAA Championships as a member of the 200 free relay, swimming the lead-off leg in a time of 19.54 to help the Cardinals to a 13th place finish. At the ACC Championships, Barna scored 40 points, finishing ninth in the 50 free (19.49), 17th in the 100 free (43.23), and 16th in the 200 free (1:37.65). Highpoints from the dual meet season include a second in the 50 free and a third in the 100 free against Kentucky, while also helping the Cardinals to first place finishes in the 200 medley and 400 free relays. At the UofL Invitational, Barna took first in the 100 free (44.01), while posting a second place finish in the 50 free (19.82) and a third in the 200 free (1:38.46). He also competed at both the Atlanta and Mesa Arena Pro Swim Series meets, highlighted by a ninth place finish in the 100-meter free at Mesa in a time of 50.35.

Prep: Barna joined the Cards from Serbia. He has represented his native country in multiple international Junior and Senior level competitions. In 2015, Barna was a finalist at Junior European Games in Baku, swam in the Junior World Championships in Singapore and competed both individually and on relays at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia. His best times in the 50 free are 22.94 (LCM) and 19.94 (SCY). In the 100 free, his best times are 50.10 LCM and 43.73 (SCY). His best times in the 200 free are 1:51.98 (LCM) and 1:37.98 (SCY).

Personal: Major is business. Born March 6, 1998.