Feb. 29, 2012

NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championship Central | USA Swimming's NCAA Championship Website | NCAA Championship Psych Sheets (.pdf)

Indianapolis, Ind. - On Wednesday, the NCAA announced its invitees for the 2012 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship, which will be held March 15-17 at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center in Auburn, Alabama. Among the invitees was Fordham junior Brienne Ryan, who will compete in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke event.

Ryan is the first Fordham female to be invited to the NCAA Championship meet, as she qualified for the 100-yard backstroke in 52.88 seconds, which was good for 26th in the country. Only the top 30 qualifiers were invited to the championship. She can also compete in any other event that she had an NCAA "B" cut time in, which she did in the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.26).

Besides Ryan, only Chuck Felice (swimming) and Paul Delo (diving) have represented Fordham as individual entries at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship. She is also one of only two athletes from the Atlantic 10 to compete in this year's women's championship. Richmond's Lauren Hines will also be competing in the 100 and 200 backstroke events.

Ryan has had a banner 2011-12 season, which began over the summer when she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in July. She won the 100-meter backstroke event at the Senior Metropolitan Long Course Championship in a qualifying time of 1:02.98.

Following the Olympic Trials qualifier, Ryan was named Atlantic 10 Women's Swimming & Diving Performer of the Week three times during the regular season, heading into the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championship in Buffalo.

Ryan was once again one of Fordham's top performers, earning All-Atlantic 10 honors in seven events, while setting three individual school records, as well as one relay record. She was the Atlantic 10 Champion in the 50-yard freestyle event (23.18), as well as in the 800 freestyle relay with Kara Field, Alexandra Wessel, and Courtney Collyer (7:21.56). She also earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events, the 200- and 400-yard medley relay, and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

In the record book, Ryan set new Fordham marks in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle (50.62), 100-yard backstroke, and the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:23.70) this season.

The 100-yard backstroke event of the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship is set to take place on Friday, March 16th, with the time trials, beginning at noon, and the final at 8:00 PM. The 200-yard backstroke event will take place on Saturday, March 17th.