INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. ? After leading Towson University to its third straight Colonial Athletic Association Women?s Swimming and Diving Championship, junior Meredith Budner (Walter Johnson H.S./Rockville, Md.) will compete at the 2010 NCAA Division I Women?s Swimming and Diving Championships, it has been announced by CAA officials.
The NCAA Championships will take place at the Boilermaker Aquatics Center on the campus of Purdue University from Thursday, March 18 to Saturday, March 20.
?It is remarkable to have Meredith not only be selected to the NCAA Championships, but to be chosen for three events,? Towson Coach Pat Mead said. ?This is the first time in school history we have had someone seeded in an event.?
Budner becomes the first swimmer in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships twice. She is also the second female swimmer in Towson history to compete at the NCAA Championships, joining Jen Irby, ?05.
For the second straight year, Budner will compete in three events at the NCAA Championships. On Thursday, March 18, she will participate in the 500-yard freestyle. On Friday, March 19, Budner will compete in the 400-yard individual medley before swimming in the 1650-yard freestyle event on Saturday, March 20.
Budner is seeded eighth in the 500-yard freestyle, 15th in the 1650-yard freestyle and 26th in the 400-yard individual medley.
?Being ranked eighth in the country in the 500-yard freestyle is such an accomplishment for Meredith,? Coach Mead said. ?We are going into the meet with great confidence and we are hoping to represent Towson as well as we did last year.?
A nine-time Colonial Athletic Association individual champion, Budner won three events at the CAA Championships last weekend and earned an NCAA ?B? cut time in each event. She set the CAA record in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:39.71. In addition, she set a CAA Championship record by posting a time of 16:10.56 in the 1650-yard freestyle.
Budner also set a CAA Championship record in the 400-yard individual medley by completing the event in 4 minutes, 12.20 seconds.
An honorable mention All-American selection last year, Budner finished 11th in the 1650-yard freestyle at last year?s NCAA Meet with a time of 16:06.82, which set the school and CAA records. She also had a 35th-place effort in the 500-yard freestyle and placed 38th in the 400-yard individual medley.
