By Todd Mounce, Media Relations Graduate Assistant
Against some of the nation’s best, seven Lady Vol swimmers solidified a spot to this summer's 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships and USA Swimming National Team Trials with their exceptional performances over the weekend at the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix Meet.
Rising seniors Kirstyn Colonias and Jenny Connolly, rising junior Kelsey Floyd, rising sophomores Lindsay Gendron and Lauren Solernou and freshmen Molly Hannis and Marina Ribi all registered nationals-qualifying marks at the 27th annual meet held at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic from Thursday to Sunday.
Martina Moravcikova, who just completed her final season of eligibility in the spring, also earned national marks in the 100m and 200m breast events at the competition.
The meet marked the first long course competition of the summer for the Lady Vols and featured elite competition from all over the country.
Gendron had the best individual finish among current UT swimmers, as the Bloomington, Ill., native notched seventh in the 400m free with a national meet qualifying time of 4:16.34. She also punched her ticket in the 100m free after an 18th-place time of 56.89.
Connolly, who was named a member of Team USA for the 2011 World University Games, placed 21st in the 100m fly (1:02.55) and 23rd in the 100m back (1:04.23). Both of the marks qualified her for the national meet.
Also competing in the 100m fly was Floyd, who earned seventh in the ‘C’ final and 23rd overall with a national qualifying time of 1:02.28.
Ribi, who fulfilled her year in residence this past season, placed 12th in the 200m IM with a qualifying standard of 2:20.05 and also added an 11th-place finish in the 200 fly (2:18.10).
Along with Moravcikova in the breast events, Colonias and Hannis each registered times below the national standard. Colonias swam a time of 2:26.30 in the 200m ‘A’ final to finish eighth, while Hannis touched in at 1:11.58 to claim 10th in the 100m breast.
Solernou, who qualified for the `B' finals of the 100m back with a national’s standard time of 1:04.04 in the prelims, finished 11th after recording a time of 1:03.39 in the finals.
Moravcikova reached the ‘A' finals in both the 100 and 200 breast events at the meet, taking third in the 200m event with a mark of 2:30.03 and placing fifth in 100m breast in 1:10.19.
The UT quartet of Connolly, Floyd, Ribi and Gendron combined for third-place readout of 3:52.83 in the 400m free relay, which also books a ticket to Palo Alto. The same group also claimed fourth in the 800m free relay (8:26.35).
The 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships and USA Swimming National Team Trials will be held from Aug. 2-6 in Palo Alto, Calif., at the Avery Aquatic Center on the campus of Stanford University.
Rising senior Atlantis Wilkins, rising junior Abbie Alton and rising sophomore Kennedy Higdon also competed in Charlotte.
Alton placed 29th in the 50m free (26.99) and also competed in the 100m free (58.88). Wilkins competed in the same events, swimming times of 28.16 (50m) and 1:03.19 (200m).
Higdon swam in four events, registering times of 5:07.83 (400m IM), 4:34.74 (400m Free), 2:26.55 (200m fly) and 2:25.35 (200m IM).

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