March 4, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - Senior Virginia Hanson, junior Lizzy Bruce and freshmen Lindsey Marck and Kelly Woodruff have earned invitations to compete for the University of North Carolina in the 2005 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships March 17-19 on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Marck, a native of Newtown, Pa., has earned the highest seed of any Tar Heel as she has the NCAA field's 15th-fastest time in the 200-yard butterfly at 1:58.79. Marck has also qualified in the 100-yard butterfly at 54.38 seconds.

Virginia Hanson (Birmingham, Ala.) has earned her first-ever NCAA bid in her final season as a Tar Heel. She has qualified for the meet in the 200-yard freestyle (1:48.33) and the 200-yard individual medley (2:04.05).

Tar Heel junior Lizzy Bruce, an All-America in 2004 and a native of Wichita, Kan., has earned qualification for the meet for the second successive year. Bruce is seeded 22nd in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:14.73 and she is also qualified in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:04.29 and in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:03.08.

Kelly Woodruff (Shoreline, Wash.) met her necessary qualifiying standard by going 4:16.68 this season in the 400-yard individual medley. She also qualified in the 1650-yard freestyle at 16:46.04 and in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:17.60.