March 5, 2009

From Colgate Athletic Communications

HAMILTON, N.Y. - A last minute decision to travel to Athens, Ga., became a very smart idea for Colgate's Emily Murphy (Camillus, N.Y.), as the NCAA announced Wednesday evening the qualifiers for the upcoming 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.

The senior received an official invitation to attend this year's event, to be held March 19-21 in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M University will serve as this year's host school. With this berth, she becomes the first ever Colgate women's swimmer or diver to compete at the national championships on the Division I level. The Raiders had four swimmers garner All-America accolades at the 1982 NCAA Division II Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, which it's believed to be the last time the program has sent a woman swimmer or diver to an NCAA national event.

Nearly two weeks ago, Murphy tied for the Patriot League title in the 100 breast with a then school and league record 1:01.23, which would have just missed the qualifying cut-off. This past weekend, she traveled to compete at the University of Georgia's Bulldog Last Chance Meet and established a new school and league record 1:00.86 in a time trial with one other competitor, which was good enough to get the invitation. Murphy is seeded 29th in a 39-swimmer field. The cut-off time was 1:01.20.

Southern Cal's Rebecca Soni will head to College Station with the top seed after posting a 58.10. Ten other swimmers in the field tallied sub minute times.