March 22, 2003

AUBURN, ALA. - Led by junior Jessi Perruquet's second Top 6 finish of the Championships and Kelly Weeks' Atlantic Coast Conference record breaking performance in the 200-yard butterfly, the North Carolina women's swimming and diving team placed 17th at the conclusion of the 2003 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by Auburn University.

The Tar Heels scored 64.5 points in the meet and placed 17th. North Carolina has now posted eight successive Top 20 placings at the NCAA Championships.

Junior Jessi Perruquet of Danville, Pa. had the highest individual finish of any Tar Heel on Saturday night as she placed sixth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 49.37 seconds. Perruquet had tied for the NCAA title in the 200-yard freestyle on Friday night.

For the second time this season junior Kelly Weeks of Raleigh, N.C. set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record in the 200-yard butterfly as she clocked a 1:57.66 to place 11th in the event on Saturday night. Earlier in the year Weeks has swum the event in 1:58.03, breaking the old record of 1:58.04 set by North Carolina's Melanie Buddemeyer that had stood in the record book since 1985.

Also earning All-America honors for the Tar Heels on Saturday night was junior Becky Acker of Richmond, Va. Acker placed 14th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:14.64.

Carolina's other entry in the field was junior Whitney Smith. The Richmond, Va. native placed 25th in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:35.87.