March 25, 2004

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. - North Carolina senior Yuri Suguiyama (Ijamasville, Md.) saved one of his best swims for last as he qualified fourth Thursday morning in the preliminaries of the 400-meter freestyle at the 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. This year's meet is being held at the Goodwill Games Aquatics Center in East Meadow's historic Eisenhower Park and being hosted by the Long Island Aquatic Club.

Suguiyama was the No. 16 seed in the event and blistered the pool waters for a times of 3:44.89 to qualify for the championship final at the No. 4 qualifier position. Junior Reid Owen also swam in the event and finished 37th with a time of 3:51.62. A total fo 47 swimmers competed in the event.

Senior Eric Poitras also competed in the one-meter diving competition where he finished 23rd with a score of 268.60 points. There were 35 competitiors in one-meter diving.

The finals begin Thursday at 7 p.m.