Fourteen Empire 8 Women's Swimmers and Divers to Compete at 2010 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships
March 15, 2010
ROCHESTER, NY – Fourteen women's swimmers and divers will represent the Empire 8 at the 2010 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by Beloit College and The College of Wooster at the University Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota Wednesday through Sunday.
Seven members of the conference and state champions Ithaca College earned a spot in the national meet, the largest group of Bombers to qualify since 1999 when the team finished seventh in the team standings. Junior Sheila Rhoades, the Swimmer of the Meet at the Empire 8 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, qualified in three individual events and will swim on the Bombers' relay teams. The three-time All-American in last year's national championship meet, will compete in the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyle events.
Sophomore Missy Keesler of the Bombers made the NCAA's in the 200-yard backstroke and first-year swimmer Madi Sherry qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke. Senior Naomi Mark and sophomore Jodi Costello made the list of 22 divers invited to compete at nationals after qualifying in the one- and three-meter dives at the conference championship. Juniors Becca Blazek and rookie Carly Jones will participate in the medley relay events. The Bombers are seeded sixth in the 400-yard medley relay and 12th in the 200-yard medley relay.
Three athletes from Nazareth College will compete at the NCAA Championships, including Empire 8 Diver of the Meet Lindsey Buzard, the first Nazareth female diver to qualify for nationals since Kama Grattet won a national title on the one-meter board in 1985. Buzard will compete in the one- and three-meter events.
Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet Carla Risucci is seeded third in the 200-yard breaststroke and seventh in the 100-yard breasatroke, and will also swim in the 200-yard individual medley. Lauren McKinney of the Golden Flyers qualified for the national meet for the third consecutive time and will compete ion the 100- and 200-yard butterflies and the 200 IM.
Six Stevens swimmers are going to the NCAA Championships. Seniors Gabrielle Czernik and Stephanie Miller, junior Laura Barito, sophomores Hayley Hatfield and Sian Pearson, and first-year swimmer Marissa Douglas all qualified for the national meet. All five of the Duck relay teams will compete at the national meet. The 200-ayrd medley relay is seeded fourth, the 400-yard freetsyle relay is ranked seventh, the 800-yard freestyle relay is ninth-seeded, the 400-yard medley relay is ranked 15th, and the 200-yard freestyle relay is seeded 16th.
Barito, an All-American last year, is seeded third in the 50-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100-yard freestyle, and will also swim in the 100-yard butterfly. Douglas is seeded ninth in the 200-yard IM, 12th in the 400-yard IM, and will swim in the 200-yard butterfly. Pearson will compete in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races and the 200-yard butterfly. In addition to their roles in several relays, Hatfield (100-yard freestyle) and Czernik (100-yard backstroke) will take part in individual events, and team captain Miller will compete in the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes.
Senior swimmer Caitlyn Burr of Rochester Institute of Technology will make her third straight appearance at the NCAA Championships. The two-time honorable mention All-American has posted the fourth-fastest time in Division III in the 200-yard IM. She will also compete in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events.