Virginia's Raab Sets Pan Am Games Record In 200 Butterfly

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Aug. 15, 2003

SANTO DOMINGO –

Third-year University of Virginia swimmer Michael Raab (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson) broke the Pan American Games record in the 200-meter butterfly during Friday’s (August 15) preliminaries. Raab touched in 1:57.54 to break former UVa swimmer Shamek Pietucha’s 1999 Pan Am Games record. Raab will swim in the finals later Friday evening.

In addition to setting the Pan Am Games record, Raab’s time of 1:57.54 ranks him fifth all-time among Americans, 25th in the world in the history of the sport. U.S. Olympians Michael Phelps and Tom Malchow are the only active American swimmers faster than Raab.

Second-year Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) became the second Virginia swimmer to earn a silver medal in the Pan Am Games as he finished second in the 400-meter freestyle Thursday night (August 14). Crippen, the 2003 ACC Swimmer of the Year, posted a time of 3:52.62 in earning the silver medal.

On Wednesday evening (August 13), fourth-year Luke Wagner (Englewood, Colo./Regis Jesuit) became the first UVa swimmer to earn a medal at the 2003 Pan American Games as he took the silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke with a personal-best time of 2:00.74. Wagner exhibitioned the 100-meter backstroke in Friday’s prelims and touched in 57.77.

In addition to Raab swimming in the finals of the 200-meter butterfly Friday evening, the Cavaliers will be represented in the women’s 800-meter freestyle by second-year Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel). Earlier in the Pan Am Games, Burke exhibitioned the 400-meter freestyle and turned in a lifetime best time of 4:14.13.