Hurricane Women's Swimmers, Divers Brace For NCAA's

March 20, 2003

AUBURN, Ala. (www.hurricanesports.com) – – Several members of the University of Miami swimming and diving team will compete in the NCAA Championships this week at Auburn University in Alabama.

The championships will be in the James E. Martin Aquatics Center and will run from today through the 22nd.

Junior Manon Van Rooijen (Westdorpe, Holland) has the highest seedings among the Hurricanes competing.

The Dutch Olympian is seeded seventh in the 200-yard freestyle event with a time of 1:46.44 and also seventh in the 100 free with a time of :49.34.

Van Rooijen is the BIG EAST Championship record holder in both events. She is also competing in the 200 IM with a seeding time of 2:02.26.

Another top contender for the Hurricanes is diver Katie Beth Bryant (Chatham, Ill.). A 2001-2002 All-American, Bryant placed first in the one-meter dive at NCAA Zone B Regional qualifiers last week.

Bryant scored a 631.35 for a top finish in the one-meter event. At NCAA’s, she will also compete in the three-meter dive.

Along with Bryant, teammate Emily Spychala (Odessa, Fla.) will compete in both diving events. Spychala qualified when she scored a 580.50 in the one-meter and placed fifth at regionals. She was an All-American in 2000-01, but her career had been hampered by two shoulder surgeries.

Senior swimmer Elaine Schwartz will also be in competition this week in both the 200 and 400 IM events. The Mt. Laurel, NJ native is seeded 20th in the 400 IM (4:17.02) and 37th in the 200 IM (2:02.41).

Results for Hurricanes competing in the NCAA Championships will be posted on www.hurricanesports.com following each day’s events.