March 20, 2003

MONTGOMERY, ALA. - In the evening session on day one of the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships at Auburn University's James E. Martin Aquatics Center in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, March 20, Villanova junior swimmer Rebecca Koch placed third in consolation finals of the 500 yard freestyle to finish 11th overall in the event.

Koch swam a time of 4:45.19 in the consolation finals to finish just 1:44 behind Julie Hardi of Georgia (4:43.75), and 1:26 behind Margie Pedder of USC (4:43.93). Flavia Rigamonti of Southern Methodist won the 500 yard freestyle on Thursday, swimming a time of 4:37.72 in the event finals. Koch swam a 4:46.14 earlier in the days preliminaries (placing 11th) to advance to the consolation finals.

On Friday, Koch and fellow Villanova swimmer Maddy Crippen will get back into action. Koch will swim in the 200 yard freestyle, while Crippen competes in the 400 yard individual medley.

Crippen, Villanova's first and only U.S. female swimming Olympian and one of only two Wildcat female swimmers to win NCAA Championships, will compete in her final NCAA Championship this week.

2003 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championship
EVENT:   2    WOMEN's     500  Yard    FREESTYLE

NCAA Record:        4:34.39  JANET EVANS           STANFORD          1990
AMERICAN Record:    4:34.39  JANET EVANS           STANFORD          1990
US OPEN Record:     4:34.39  JANET EVANS           STANFORD          1990
POOL Record:        4:37.62  NATALIE COUGHLIN      CALIFORNIA        2002
QUALIFYING FOR FOR THIS MEET:        4:48.60

RESULTS of FINALS

 RANK    NAME             YEAR   TEAM            PRELIM                 TIME

                               CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

  1)  RIGAMONTI, FLAVIA    SO SOUTHERN METHOD.  4:42.28               4:37.72
            :53.89   :56.16   :56.25   :56.02   :55.40
  2)  SANDENO, KAITLIN     SO SOUTHERN CAL.     4:41.72               4:39.31
            :54.02   :56.35   :56.82   :56.83   :55.29
  3)  McLARTY, SARA        JR FLORIDA           4:39.58               4:39.42
            :54.15   :56.28   :56.74   :56.59   :55.66
  4)  PIPER, CARLY         SO WISCONSIN         4:44.22               4:41.23
            :54.05   :56.54   :56.96   :57.47   :56.21
  5)  KEMP, HEATHER        JR AUBURN            4:43.39               4:43.42
            :54.11   :57.08   :57.67   :57.95   :56.61
  6)  LANE, CARA           SR VIRGINIA          4:43.85               4:44.08
            :54.29   :56.64   :57.38   :58.25   :57.52
  7)  BURKE, RACHAEL       FR VIRGINIA          4:43.95               4:45.49
            :54.56   :57.12   :57.60   :58.13   :58.08
  8)  LEE, GEORGINA        JR SOUTHERN METHOD.  4:44.09               4:46.98
            :55.01   :58.11   :58.18   :58.71   :56.97

                               CONSOLATION FINAL

  9)  HARDT, JULIE         JR GEORGIA           4:45.26               4:43.75
            :55.24   :57.38   :57.34   :57.24   :56.55
 10)  PEDDER, MARGIE       SO SOUTHERN CAL.     4:44.37               4:43.93
            :55.12   :57.10   :57.53   :57.79   :56.39
 11)  KOCH, BECKY          JR VILLANOVA         4:46.14               4:45.19
            :54.38   :57.25   :57.35   :58.19   :58.02
 12)  JOHNSON, SHANDRA     SR MARYLAND          4:47.04               4:45.20
            :55.44   :57.69   :57.46   :57.08   :57.53
 13)  LYNN, WHITNEY        SO ARKANSAS          4:46.91               4:47.44
            :55.05   :57.22   :57.61   :58.58   :58.98
 14)  WEEKS, KELLY         JR NORTH CAROLINA    4:46.97               4:48.53
            :55.20   :57.89   :58.07   :59.01   :58.36
 15)  GORDON, KATIE        FR VIRGINIA          4:46.98               4:49.33
            :55.78   :57.83   :58.05   :59.08   :58.59
 16)  WANBERG, LOTTA       SR SOUTHERN METHOD.  4:46.58               4:49.64
            :55.03   :58.12   :58.62   :59.29   :58.58