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Aug. 8, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four current University of Virginia swimmers will compete in the swimming portion of the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic August 11-16. Fourth-year Luke Wagner (Englewood, Colo./Regis Jesuit), third-year Michael Raab (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson), and second-years Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) and Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel) will represent the Blue and Orange and the United States in the international competition.
Wagner, who was originally scheduled to compete for the United States in the 2003 World University Games, was moved up to compete in the Pan American Games. His sixth-place finish in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2002 Summer Nationals earned him a spot on the USA’s International teams. Wagner also competed for the U.S. in the Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama, Japan in the summer of 2002.
Raab, who is a member of the United States’ Men’s National “B” Team, made the Pan Am Games team in the 200-meter butterfly. He was third in the 200-meter butterfly at 2002 Summer Nationals. Raab is the two-time defending ACC champion in the 200 fly.
Crippen is the third Cavalier men’s swimmer on the United State’s Pan American Games team. He made the team in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyles. He was second in the 800-meter free, fourth in the 1500-meter free and fifth in the 400-meter free at 2002 Summer Nationals. Crippen was named the 2003 ACC Swimmer and Rookie of the Year.
Burke is UVa’s only women’s swimmer on the U.S. squad and she will compete in the distance freestyle. Burke made the Women’s Pan American Games team with fourth-place finishes in the 800 and 1500-meter freestyles at the 2002 Summer Nationals. Burke was selected as the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2003.