July 11, 2009

BELGRADE, Serbia - Rising senior Michele King will return from the 2009 World University Games sporting a pair of medals after placing third in the 50m free in a career-best time of 25.10 on Saturday at the Tasmajdan Sports Rec Center.

The York, Pa., native also snagged a gold medal last Sunday as a part of the 400m free relay team.

Across the globe in Indianapolis, former Lady Vol Christine Magnuson snatched a third-place finish of her own at the ConocoPhillips USA National Championships on Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium.

Magnuson finished third in the 100m free in a time of 54.36. Dana Vollmer won the national title in 54.00. The Tinley Park, Ill., native qualified third after swimming a time of 54.45 in the prelims.

On Tuesday, Magnuson edged Vollmer to win her second straight national title in the 100m fly (57.15). She is the American record holder (57.08) in the event and will compete in her signature event at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy, from July 26 to August 2.

Also competing on the final day of competition in Indianapolis was rising senior Alex Barsanti. The Hummelstown, Pa., native placed 29th in the prelims of the 200m breast in career-best 2:35.40.

King came into the 50m finals in Belgrade tied for the top qualifying time with Germany's Dorothea Brandt at 25.13.

Belarus' Aleksandra Gerasimenya won the "splash-and-dash" finals with a World University Games record time of 24.62, while Brandt was second in 25.03.

King teamed with Madison Kennedy, Ava Ohlgren and Morgan Scroggy to kick off the World University Games with a time of 3:41.81. Japan was second in 3:42.60 and Canada grabbed bronze with a time of 3:43.09.

King earned a spot on the U.S. team by tying Kennedy, who wrapped up her senior season at California in March, in the 50m free (25.22) at the 2008 U.S. Open Championships nearly a year ago in Minneapolis, Minn.