Swimmers Qualify For International Competion
Monday, June 16, 2003 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Fourteen swimmers from the University of Florida program are set to participate in international competition after 10 current and four former swimmers qualified for the World Championships, Pan America Games and the World University Games during summer of 2003.
Eight Gators will compete in the Pan America Games, which will be held August 1-17 in Santo Domingo. Three athletes qualified for both the World Championships to take place July 20-27 in Barcelona, Spain, and the World University Games to take place August 21-31 in Daegu, Korea.
On the women's side, five current Florida swimmers and one former Gator qualified to compete at the international level during this summer. Vipa Bernhardt (Bad Hersfeld, Germany), Maureen Farrell (Northridge, Calif.) and former swimmer Renate duPlessis (2002-2003) (Capetown, South Africa) each qualified for the World Championships for their respective countries of Germany, United States and South Africa. DuPlessis will not compete, due to declining her invitation in the event to fulfill academic requirements for graduation.
Janelle Atkinson (Jamaica) will represent her home country of Jamaica at the Pan America Games, and Jamie Reid (Orlando, Fla.) will also swim at the Pan American Games, representing the United States in the 200-yard backstroke, which she holds the record for at Florida. Mary Uhle (St. Ingbert, Germany) will also represent Germany at the World University Games in August.
The men's team also features five current Gator swimmers that qualified for their respective countries in international competition this summer. Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) qualified for the United States Pan-Am team in the 400-meter individual medley. The U.S. will compete in the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo August 1-17. A pair of Brazilian swimmers will be representing their country at the Pan American Games, as Carlos Jayme (Goias, Brazil) and Gabriel Mangabeira (Piratininga, Brazil) both qualified at the Brazilian Nationals. Both will also be competing at the World Championships July 20-27 in Barcelona, Spain. Jayme qualified in both the 400- and 800-meter freestyle, while Mangabeira made the team in 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter backstroke and as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay team. Mangabeira, the 2003 Southeastern Conference champion in the 100-yard backstroke, broke the Brazilian national record in the 100 fly.
German swimmers Jan Wolfgarten (Frankfurt, Germany) and Michael Berger (Frankfurt, Germany) both qualified for the World University Games, August 21-31, in Daegue, Korea. Wolfgarten qualified in the 1,500-meter freestyle, while Berger qualified by finishing fourth in the 800-meter freestyle.
Three former Gator swimmers also qualified for international competition. Eric Donnelly (1998-2002) qualified for the U.S. Pan American team, while Ricardo Monasterio (1997-2001) qualified for the same meet as a member of the Venezuela team. Alex Lopez (1997-2001) qualified for the Puerto Rican National team, which will compete at the Pan Am Games.
