July 9, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS - With a second straight national title in the 100m fly and a meet record already under her belt, former Lady Vol Christine Magnuson returned to the Indiana University Natatorium on Thursday looking to add to her already impressive resume at the 2009 ConocoPhillips USA National Championships.

Magnuson snagged fourth-place in the 50m free in a time of 25.09 and came within striking distance of the American and world records in the 50m fly, registering a time of 26.07 in a special time trial at the end of the evening. Her time was just off of Dara Torre's national 50m fly mark of 25.72 and Marleen Veldhuis' world record of 25.33.

The Tinley Park, Ill., native already holds the American record in the 100m fly (57.08) - set at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where she won two silver medals.

Torres, also the American record holder in the 50m free, captured her signature event in 24.43.

Magnuson, who won her second straight national crown in the 100m fly on Tuesday, was fourth in the prelims of the 50m free with a time of 25.21.

Lady Vols Alex Barsanti and Samara Gelb also competed on Thursday in the 100m breast.

Barsanti, a rising senior, took third in the `C' finals of the 100m breast in career-best 1:10.47. The Hummelstown, Pa., native was ranked 19th after swimming a time of 1:11.02 in the prelim heats. Gelb, a rising sophomore, clocked a time of 1:13.31 to finish 42nd in the opening heats.

On Friday, rising junior Tricia Weaner will compete in the 200m back, while Magnuson and Barsanti will be back in action on Saturday.

Magnuson is scheduled to compete in one final event, the 100m free, while Barsanti will race the 200m breast. She is the UT record-holder in the 200y breast.

Additionally, rising senior Michele King and rising junior Martina Moravcikova will be in action on Friday at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. King, representing the U.S. will seek her second gold medal of the Games in the 50m free. Moravcikova will compete in the 50m breast.

Live results of the 2009 Conoco USA National Championships can be found at http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm. Swimnetwork.com is offering a free live web stream of the finals each day.

Live results of the 2009 World University Games can be found at: http://www.ub2009.org/eng/Default.aspx.