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July 31, 2006

IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Virginia swimming program will be well represented at the 2006 ConocoPhillips National Swimming Championships, which will be held August 1-5 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center. A total of 17 present and former UVa swimmers will be competing this week. In additional to serving at the national championship, the top performers will be eligible to compete for the United States in five upcoming international competitions.

Third-year Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) is the top seeded Virginia swimmer in the meet. He is the seventh seed in the 400-meter individual medley (4:30.87). Mellors is also scheduled to swim the 200-meter I.M., the 200-meter free and the 200-meter backstroke. Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) will also compete in four events. Crippen, a 2006 UVa graduate, is seeded ninth in the 400-meter I.M. (4:25.70) and 15th in the 400-meter freestyle (3:55.94). He will also compete in the 200-meter butterfly and the 1500-meter free. Fourth-year John Millen (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) is seeded 13th in the 1500-meter free (15:36.78) and will compete in the 200 and 400-meter freestyles.

Third-years Ryan Hurley (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) and PJ Sullivan (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan) are seeded 13th (2:18.09) and 17th (2:19.26), respectively, in the 200-meter breaststroke. Hurley will also compete in the 400 I.M. and 100 breast. Sullivan will compete in the 100 breast as well. Second-year Bjorn Falk (Wilton, N.H./High Mowing) will swim the 100 and 200-meter backstroke and he will be joined in the 100 back second-year Tony Colella (Austin, Texas/Westwood). Colella will also compete in the 200-meter I.M. Second-year T.J. Southmayd (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) will swim the 400 I.M. and 200 back, while second-year Pat Reams (North Easton, Mass./Boston College High) will compete in the 100 and 200-meter butterfly.

Cavalier first-years Dan McMahon (Atlanta, Ga./Marist) and John Azar (El Paso, Texas/Cathedral) round out the UVa men competing at summer nationals. McMahon is seeded 15th in the 200-meter butterfly (2:02.27) and he will also swim the 400-meter freestyle. Azar’s lone event will be the 200-meter breaststroke.

On the women’s side, Brielle White (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside School), who completed her eligibility in 2005-06, is UVa’s top seeded swimmer. White is seeded 13th in the 100-meter backstroke (1:03.21). Third-year Jess Lewis (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) will compete in the 100 and 200-meter freestyles. Third-year Stephanie Glover (Raleigh, N.C./Athens Drive) will swim the 100-meter butterfly, while fourth-year Rory Schmidt (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia) is competing in the 800-meter freestyle.

Two Virginia newcomers, Jenn Narum (Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill) and Leslie Swinley (Vienna, Va./The Madeira School) will also be competing on the women’s side. Narum is swimming the 400 and 800-meter free, while Swinley will be competing in the 800 free as well.

The top finishers will be selected for U.S. teams competing in the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships (Aug. 17-21, Victoria, British Columbia); the 2007 FINA World Championships (March 25-April 1, Melbourne, Australia); the 2007 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool (April 3, Sydney, Australia); the 2007 World University Games (Aug. 8-13, Bangkok, Thailand); and the 2007 Pan American Games (July 14-21, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

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