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March 15, 2000
2000 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships
Indiana University Natatorium
Indianapolis, Ind.
March 16-18
Nine Virginia Swimmers Qualify for NCAAs
The Virginia swimming program, tied for eighth in the nation, isrepresented by nine swimmers at the 2000 NCAA Women’s Swimming and DivingChampionships. The eight qualified swimmers are fourth-years Emily Carrig(Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman), Rebecca Cronk (Charlottesville,Va./Albemarle), Kori Forster (New Orleans, La./Benjamin Franklin), andEmily Trakas (Herndon, Va./Herndon), third-years Megan Iffland (Wilmington,Del./St. Mark’s) and Val Oswald (Charlottesville, Va./McLean), second-yearKate Slonaker (Summit, N.J./Oak Knoll), and first-years Mirjana Bosevska(Skopje, Macedonia/Trinity Prep) and Cara Lane (Charlotte,N.C./Providence). Fourth-year Laura Sullivan (Sarasota, Fla./Peddie) willcompete at the NCAAs as a relay alternate.
Well Represented
The Cavaliers have entrants in 17 of the 18 swimming events. Theonly swimming events the ‘Hoos are not in is the 200-meter freestyle relay.UVa is not represented in the three diving events (one and three-meter andplatform) as well. See page 2 of the notes for an entire breakdown ofVirginia’s event entrants.
Head Coach Mark Bernardino
Mark Bernardino is in his 22nd-year at the helm of the Virginiaswimming program. Bernardino sports a 160-58-1 record as Virginia’s headcoach. He has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Yearseven times.
Bernardino’s women’s squads have finished among the top 25 teams inthe NCAA Championship 11 times in the past 18 years. Last year, UVa placed10th at the NCAAs. The best Virginia finish at the women’s NCAAs isseventh in 1988. His women’s squads have won three ACC championships,including the 1998 and 1999 titles.
National Rankings
UVa has been ranked among the nations elite programs throughout the1999-2000 season.
In the current College Swimming Coaches Association of America(CSCAA) Top 25 Poll released March 8, the Cavaliers are tied for eighth inthe nation with Southern Methodist University.
Virginia began the season ranked 11th in the preseason poll andmoved up to a program-best seventh in the January 20 poll.
UVa’s Participants in the 2000 NCAA Championships
| Swimmer | Event | Seed | Time |
| Mirjana Bosevska | 1500M Free | 4 | 16:14.59 |
| 400M IM | 7 | 4:13.77 | |
| 400M Free | 10 | 4:45.02 | |
| Emily Carrig | 400M Free | 24 | 4:48.76 |
| 200M Fly | 45 | 2:02.35 | |
| 200M Free | 46 | 1:49.90 | |
| Rebecca Cronk | 50M Free | 13 | 22.88 |
| 100M Free | 41 | 50:60 | |
| Kori Forster | 100M Fly | 8 | 54.09 |
| Megan Iffland | 100M Back | 19 | 55.59 |
| 200M Back | 19 | 1:58.81 | |
| Cara Lane | 1500M Free | 1 | 16:07.71 |
| 400M Free | 5 | 4:43.21 | |
| 200M Fly | 10 | 1:58.58 | |
| Val Oswald | 200M Breast | ||
| 200M IM | |||
| 400M IM | |||
| Kate Slonaker | 100 Breast | 31 | 1:03.60 |
| Emily Trakas | 200M Free | 54 | 1:50.40 |
| Relay | 200M Medley | 7 | 1:41.33 |
| Relay | 400M Medley | 9 | 3:41.47 |
| Relay | 800M Free | 10 | 7:16.63 |
| Relay | 400M Free | 12 | 3:21.67 |
| Laura Sullivan | Relay Alternate |
* all times are in yards
Cavaliers Finish Second at ACC Championships
Virginia finished second to North Carolina in the 2000 ACC Swimmingand Diving Championship at Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill, N.C., February17-19. North Carolina won the meet with 842.5 points, while UVa, thetwo-time defending champions, finished second with 693.5 points. Clemsonwas third with 476.5 points. As a team, Virginia won the most events ofany school with eight (of 20 events). UNC won seven events, but was ableto win the title with tremendous depth.
UVa first-year Cara Lane was named the meet’s Most ValuableSwimmer. Lane is the 2000 ACC Champion in the 200 butterfly, 500 freestyleand 1650 freestyle and also swam a leg on Virginia’s winning 800 freestylerelay, that set an ACC Meet record. The Cavaliers’ time of 7:16.63 is thesecond fastest in school history. Lane set ACC Meet and Virginia schoolrecords in the 200 fly (1:58.58), 500 free (4:43.21) and 1650 free(16:07.71). Her time in the 1650 free is the best ever by an ACC swimmer.
ACC Champions
Virginia won six individual ACC titles with three swimmersaccounting for the first-place finishes. In addition to Cara Lane winningthe 500 and 1650 free and the 200 butterfly, first-year Mirjana Bosevskawon the 200 (2:00.59) and 400 (4:13.77) individual medley titles. Bosevskaset school and ACC Meet records with her winning times. Fourth-year KoriForster notched the sixth individual title by a UVa swimmer as she won the100 fly (54.09).
The Cavaliers also won two relay titles at the 2000 ACCChampionships. The foursome of Lane, fourth-year Emily Trakas, fourth-yearEmily Carrig, and Bosevska won the 800 free relay title with an ACC recordtime of 7:16.63. Third-year Megan Iffland, second-year Kate Slonaker,Forster and fourth-year Rebecca Cronk teamed to win the 200 medley relaywith a time of 1:41.33.
Best Cavalier Finishes in the NCAA Championship
Virginia is coming off its second-best finish ever in the NCAAChampionships in 1999. The Cavaliers scored 140 points to take 10th place.UVa’s all-time best NCAA showing was a seventh-place performance in the1988 NCAAs. The ‘Hoos tallied 173.5 points in the 1988 NCAAs. Below is alist of Virginia’s finishes in the NCAAs since the 1982 season.
| 7th | 173.5 pts. | 1988 |
| 10th | 140 pts. | 1999 |
| 11th | 99 pts. | 1990 |
| 13th | 57 pts. | 1982 |
| 14th | 75 pts. | 1986 |
| 18th | 51 pts. | 1998 |
| 19th | 22 pts. | 1984 |
| 20th | 20 pts. | 1983 |
| T23rd | 36 pts. | 1989 |
| 24th | 27 pts. | 1987 |
| 25th | 22 pts. | 1991 |
| 26th | 26 pts. | 1993 |
| 27th | 24.5 pts. | 1985 |
| T28th | 14 pts. | 1997 |
| T32nd | 12 pts. | 1992 |
| T33rd | 11 pts. | 1995 |
| T33rd | 17 pts. | 1994 |
20 Consecutive Dual Meet Wins
Virginia has won 20 consecutive dual meets dating back to the1997-98 season. The Cavaliers were a perfect 8-0 in dual meets in the1999-2000 season after going 9-0 in 1998-99. UVa began its current dualmeet winning streak by winning its last three meets of the 1997-98campaign. UVa’s last dual meet loss was a 160-140 setback at NorthCarolina on January 24, 1998.Returning All-AmericansAll eight of Virginia’s upperclassmen, including alternate Laura Sullivan,have earned All-America honors in previous NCAA Championships.
Fourth-year Rebecca Cronk is a 14-time All-American. She earnedseven of her All-America certificates in the 1998-99 season. Cronk earnedAll-America accolades in the 50 and 100 free and also swam on fiveAll-American Virginia relay teams.In 1999 Cronk was a First-team All-American in the 50 free, 400 free relay,200 medley relay and 400 medley relay. Cronk was an honorable mentionAll-American in four events in the 1998 NCAAs, including the 50 free. In1997, she was a honorable mention All-American as a member of three UVarelay teams. Cronk is a 12-time ACC Champion and currently holds theVirginia record in the 50 free (22.52).
Fourth-year Emily Carrig is a three-time All-American for Virginia.She was a two-time honorable mention All-American in 1997 as a member ofUVa’s 400 and 800 free relay teams. In 1998, she captured All-Americaaccolades in the 800 free relay.
Carrig is also an eight-time ACC Champion. She holds the second fastestUVa times in the 200 free (1:48.73) and 200 butterfly (2:00.10).
Fourth-year Emily Trakas has earned All-America status seven timeson UVa relay teams and is also a six-time conference relay champion.Trakas was a three-time All-American in 1997 and earned the honor twice in1998 as a member of relay teams. Trakas’ final All-American honor camelast season as a member of the 400 free relay.
Fourth-year Kori Forster is a three-time All-American. She earnedindividual All-American accolades in the 100 butterfly in 1998 and was alsoa member of UVa’s 200 medley relay team the same year. Her thirdAll-America certificate came in the 1999 NCAA’s as a member of theCavaliers’ First-team All-American 200 medley relay team that finishedfifth. Forster is a three-time ACC Champion, including the 100 fly and 200medley relay in 2000.
Third-year Megan Iffland is a seven-time All-American and six-timeACC Champion. Iffland earned four of her seven All-America honors at the1999 NCAAs (100 back and three relays). The other three times she earnedAll-American honors came in the 1999 NCAAs as a member of UVa relay teams.Iffland holds the school record in the 100 backstroke (55.25).
Third-year Val Oswald, a transfer from Auburn earned honorablemention All-American honors in the 400 IM last year.
Second-year Kate Slonaker was a double All-American as a freshmanin 1999. She finished 14th in the 100 breaststroke and also swam a leg onUVa’s All-American 800 free relay team. Slonaker earned her first ACCtitle as a member of the Cavaliers’ winning 200 medley relay team earlierthis year.
Fourth-year Laura Sullivan, who is a relay alternate, has earnedAll-American honors once in her career. She was a member of Virginia’s 800free relay team at the 1998 NCAAs. Her lone ACC title came in the sameevent in 1998.
All-American Record Chase
Fourth-year Rebecca Cronk has garnered All-America honors 14 timesduring her career and has a chance to establish a new Virginia women’sswimming record for the most times being named an All-American. She iscurrently tied for second with her 14 All-America honors with Sudi Miller(1985-1988). The Cavalier women’s swimming record for number of timesearning All-America honors is 17 by Melanie Valerio (1988-91).
Cronk will compete in the 50 and 100 freestyle at the 2000 NCAAsand could swim on as many as four UVa relay teams (200 and 400 medleyrelays and the 400 and 800 free relays). In previous seasons, Cronk hasearned All-America honors in each of the six events she could compete in atthe 2000 NCAAs.
Fabulous Freshmen
A lot of Virginia’s success in the 1999-2000 season can beattributed to a pair of first-years, Cara Lane and Mirjana Bosevska. Lanewon four 2000 ACC titles, while Bosevska claimed three. Lane is the topseed in the 1500-meter free and the fifth seed in the 400-meter free.Bosevska is the fourth seed in the 1500-meter free and the seventh seed inthe 400-meter individual medley.
Lane, the Most Valuable Swimmer in the 200 ACC Championships,already holds three individual school records and is second in two otherevents. Lane is the school record holder in the 500 free (4:43.21), 1650free (16:07.71) and the 200 butterfly (1:58.58). Her time in the 1650free is an ACC record as well. Lane is second on UVa’s 1000 free (9:44.29)list and the 800 free relay (7:16.63).
In November, Lane competed in the FINA World Cup Meet at theUniversity of Maryland Campus Recreation Center Natatorium and won the goldmedal in the 800-meter freestyle. Lane clocked a time of 8:36.41 to winthe event by nearly five seconds over Rachael Burke (8:41.15). She alsoplaced fifth in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:14.33.
Bosevska, who competed in the 1996 Olympics for Macedonia, has setthree school records in her first year at Virginia. Bosevska holds notonly the school record, but the ACC record in the 1000 free (9:42.84). Shealso holds the school records in the 200 and 400 IMs with times of 2:00.59and 4:13.77, respectively. She is second on the Cavalier all-time list inthe 1650 free (16:14.59) and the 800 free relay (7:16.63) and is third inthe 500 free (4:45.02).
Bosevska also competed in the FINA World Cup Meet in College Park,Md., in November. She finished fourth in the 400-meter individual medleywith a time of 4:46.63. She also competed in the 400-meter freestyle,placing sixth with a time of 4:13.83.
Relays, Relays, Relays
Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino placed a heavy emphasis onrelays last season and that commitment paid off as the Cavaliers finished10th at the 1999 NCAA Championships. All five of Virginia’s relay teamsearned All-American honors with the 400 free and 200 and 400 medley relayteams garnering first-team All-American honors.
The Cavaliers have qualified for four of the five relays in the2000 NCAAs. In three of the four relays Virginia has qualified for, it isseeded in the top 10. UVa is the seventh seed in the 200-meter medleyrelay and is seeded ninth in the 400-meter medley relay. In the 800-meterfree relay, Virginia is the 10th seed. The ‘Hoos are also seeded 12th inthe 400-meter free relay. The only relay UVa did not qualify for was the200-meter free relay.