Four Virginia Swimmers Ready for Competition at World University Games

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four Virginia swimmers, including two former student-athletes, will compete this week at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China. Swimming competition at the event gets underway Sunday (Aug. 14) and runs through Friday, Aug. 19.

Former Cavalier Matt McLean and rising sophomore Rachel Naurath will both be representing the United States and the World University Games.

McLean completed his career at Virginia in 2011 with a NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle and is coming off a USA Swimming national title in the 400-meter freestyle at the ConocoPhillips National Championships earlier this month. Naurath, meanwhile, was named to the U.S. national team in the 200-meter butterfly a year ago. She captured the ACC title in the 200-yard butterfly, was an all-conference performer in the 200-yard freestyle and earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 500-yard freestyle.

Rising senior David Karasek will represent his native Switzerland for the second time at the World University Games, having also competed at the 2009 event in Belgrade, Serbia. Former Cavalier Katya Bachrouche, who also completed her eligibility in 2011, is swimming for Lebanon, where she is a dual citizen.

Karasek was an honorable mention All-American in the 200-yard freestyle this past season and swam on the national runner-up 800-yard freestyle relay team that recorded the highest finish in school history. Bachrouche earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 500-yard freestyle and 1650-yard freestyle events at her final NCAA Championships.

McLean becomes the 11th member of the Cavalier men’s squad to participate in the World University Games. Naurath and Bachrouche are the first Virginia women’s swimmers to compete at the event since Cara Lane swam for the United States in 1999.

For more information, visit the official site of the 2011 World University Games.