March 22, 2003

AUBURN, ALA. - The University of North Carolina women's swimming team has qualified three of its five entries for Saturday's finals at the 2003 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by Auburn University. Junior Jessi Perruquet qualified for the championship final in the 100-yard freestyle while juniors Becky Acker and Kelly Weeks qualified for the consolation final in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard butterfly, respectively.

Perruquet, who on Friday night tied for the NCAA championship in the 200-yard freestyle, placed seventh in the 100 freestyle trials Saturday morning with a time of 49.31. Acker earned her spot in the 200 breaststroke consolation final as the 15th seed at 2:14.46 and Weeks is seeded 14th in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:58.52.

UNC junior Whitney Smith will also swim tonight in a timed final heat of the 1650-yard freestyle.

Carolina's other entries this morning were senior Laura Collier who tied for 20th in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:59.10 and senior Christy Watkins who placed 48th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.69.

UNC heads into the final night of competition in 17th place.