March 6, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - Seven swimmers from the University of North Carolina women's swimming team are amongst the 281 student-athletes invited to compete in the 2004 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships to be held March 18-20 at Texas A&M University at College Station, Texas.

Seniors Jessi Perruquet (Danville, Pa.), Whitney Smith (Richmond, Va.), Kelly Weeks (Raleigh, N.C.) and Becky Acker (Richmond, Va.) as well as sophomore Lizzy Bruce (Wichita, Kan.) all earned bids on the basis of their individual event times. Perruquet, Weeks and Acker have all earned bids in each of their four bids as Tar Heels. Smith will compete in the meet for the third straight year. Bruce is making her initial trip to the NCAA meet.

Carolina's 200-yard medley relay team also qualified for the meet meaning sophomore Emily Carroll (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.) and freshman Meagan Eickman (Spartanburg, S.C.) have earned their first NCAA bids.

Perruquet is the defending NCAA co-champion in the 200-yard freestyle but this year's NCAA meet will be conducted in short course meters format as it is an Olympic year. Weeks, Acker and Perruquet all earned All-America honors in 2001, 2002 and 2003.