McDowell Sets School Record at NCAAs
Minneapolis, Minn. - Brie McDowell (Doylestown, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) captured the consolation finals for ninth overall in the 100 backstroke event Friday night in record fashion at the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
The 2007 and 2009 Capital Athletic Conference Women's Swimmer-of-the-Year, McDowell notched her fourth All-America career honor as she posted a school record-setting time of 56.23 in the 100 back, surpassing her own mark of 56.62 that she set just a little over a month ago at the CAC championships.
The senior captain had finished the prelims of the 100 back in ninth in 56.93. McDowell had entered the competition seeded third in the event.
McDowell will wrap up her Seahawk career today as she competes in her main event, the 200 backstroke. She enters the competition as the top seed with her school mark of 2:00.92, which shattered the NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 2:04.38. If she advances to tonight's finals, McDowell will secure her fifth career All-America award.
Junior Rachel Hotchko (Yakima, Wash./A.C. Davis), who is making her second consecutive trip to the NCAAs, will close out her trip today as well as Hotchko competes in the 100 freestyle event.
This is the fourth consecutive season that St. Mary's has been represented at the NCAA championships. The championships are being hosted by Macalester College at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center and competition will wrap up this Saturday with the crowning of the team champions. It is the first-time ever that the men's and women's swimming championships are being held at the same time.
