Three Panthers Qualify For Olympic Trials
6/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
June 26, 2008
PITTSBURGH--Pitt's swimming and diving team will be represented by two of their top freestylers in recent history as well as one of its fastest butterflyers at the 2008 US Olympic Trials, as senior Stacie Safritt and alumni Kristin Brown and Jason Miller each qualified to compete for a spot on the Olympic team at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., from June 29-July 6.
"These three athletes have helped to make a great name for the Panthers," said head coach Chuck Knoles. "Stacie and Kristin have both been to NCAA's and Kristin and Jason are both on Pitt's `Walk of Fame.'
"I am excited and proud to have worked with these athletes and I know they will represent themselves and the Pitt community very well in Omaha."
Safritt (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) is the lone active member of the squad to earn an invitation to the trials, after she finished 17th in the 50 free at 26.19 at the Omaha Swimvitational Grand Prix.
This past season, she recorded several multi-event victories including, first-place finishes in the 100 and 200 free against St. Bonaventure and Virginia, and 50 and 100 free wins in meets against Syracuse, Cincinnati and Notre Dame.
In the Big East Championships, Safritt posted an NCAA provisional time in the preliminaries of the 200 free, and tied for seventh in the finals. Later at the ECAC Championships, she recorded first-place finishes in the 50 and 100 free with times of 23.77 and 51.25, respectively.
The 2006-07 Big East/Aeropostale Student-Athlete of the Year, Brown garnered an invite to the Olympic Trials in four freestyle events. She will swim the 50, 100, 200 and 400 free. During the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational, Brown finished with top-15 times in the 200, 100 and 400, while placing 10th in the 200. Brown ended her career at Pitt as a two-time Big East Champion in the 200 free and held five school records.
A Big East Champion in the butterfly, Miller will compete in the 100 fly at the trials. During his career at Pitt, Miller won the 200 fly at the conference meet in 2003, was a member of the 200 free relay team that won a Big East title in 2005 and aided in a school record as the anchor of the 200 free relay team at the 2006 conference meet.
Safritt, Brown and Miller hope to join Sue Heon and Angie Lopez as the only Panther swimmers to compete in the Olympics.