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March 17, 2006

ATHENS, Ga. – University of Virginia fourth-year Brielle White (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside School) finished third in the 100 backstroke Friday (Mar. 17) during the second day of the 2006 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. White captured first-team All-America honors and set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record with her third-place performance. The three-day NCAA meet is being held at the University of Georgia’s Gabrielsen Natatorium.

White clocked a time of 52.76 in the finals Friday evening to break her own ACC record of 53.12 set at the 2004 ACC Championships. It marked the third consecutive year she has garnered first-team All-America honors in the 100 backstroke. White was just two hundredths of a second behind Arizona’s Jenna Gresdal (52.74), who was the runner-up. Rachel Goh of Auburn won the 100 back with a time of 52.35.

White, who was fourth in the 100 back at NCAAs last year and third in 2004, advanced to the championship final by finishing third in the morning prelims with a time of 53.36.

UVa stands in 27th place after 14 events with 16 points. Georgia leads the NCAA Championship with 379 points and Auburn is second with 326 points, followed by Arizona (315).

The Cavaliers had two other swimmers compete in the prelims Friday. Fourth-year Katie Gordon (Winter Park, Fla./Trinity Prep) was 24th in the 400 I.M. with a time of 4:19.73, while second-year Anna Steenrod (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin) was disqualified from the same event. Steenrod also competed in the 100 breaststroke and finished 38th with a time of 1:04.52.

White will swim in the prelims of the 200 backstroke Saturday morning along with Gordon. White is a two-time honorable mention All-American in the 200 back. Fourth-year Rachael Burke (Bethesda, Md./Good Counsel) will swim in the 1650 freestyle Saturday evening. Burke is a three-time All-American in the mile.

The 2006 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships concludes on Saturday (Mar. 18) with prelims beginning at11:00 a.m. Finals commence Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m.

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