March 5, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa freshman Becky Stoughton will participate at the 2012 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on March 15-17 at the James E. Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, Ala. Stoughton will compete in the 500 and 1,650 free.
The last Hawkeye swimmer to compete at the NCAA Championships was Jennifer Skolaski in 2005. Skolaski competed in the 200 IM (2:02.93), 100 back (55.12) and 200 back (2:00.14) with her best finish coming in the 100 back (55.14), placing 14th. Stoughton is the first freshman to qualify for the NCAA’s since Skolaski qualified her freshman season in 2001-02.
Stoughton was named Freshman Swimmer of the Year by Big Ten swimming coaches at the 2012 Big Ten Championships. During the Championships, she set school records in the 200 (1:47.09), 500 (4:40.82) and 1,650 free (9:39.44) and 400 IM (4:12.34). Her times in the 500 (4:40.82) and 1,650 free (9:39.44) met qualifying times to compete at the NCAA Championships.
Stoughton has set 20 records thus far in her freshman season. She holds the school record in the 200 (1:47.09), 500 (4:40.82), 1,000 (9:39.44) and 1,650 free (16:14.14) and 400 IM (4:12.34).
The Peoria, Ill., native earned three Freshman of the Week honors during the 2011-12 season and was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week once. She also was selected as the Division I National Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com earlier in the season.
A total of 322 participants (281 swimmers and 41 divers) will compete in the championships. Student-athletes qualified for the swimming portion of the championships by meeting the established minimum time for the events in which they entered.
Divers will be determined by performances achieved at the Zone Diving meets. The University of Iowa is hosting the Zone D Championships on March 8-10 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. Selected divers will be announced Monday, March 12.