FAIRFAX,
Va. - Ten current Patriot swimmers and one alumnus will
head to Austin, Texas for the 2012 AT&T Winter National Championships. The meet
will span over the course of three days beginning November 29th and
will feature 11 U.S. Olympians including Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte.
Senior Austin Witherow leads the Patriots with four
events, the 50 Freestyle, 100 Fly and 100 and 200 Back. Witherow competed in
the 50 Free, 100 Fly and 100 Back in last year's winter championships, with his
top finish the 100 back at 77th.
Senior David Kiss, junior Joey Kelly and sophomore
Travis Lauri will each compete in three events. Kiss will swim in the 200 IM and
the 100 and 200 Fly, the same events he competed in last year's winter
championships. His best finish last year was in the 200 Fly where he finished
64th. Kelly and Lauri will both compete in the 50 Free and 100 Free.
For their third event Kelly will swim in the 200 Free and Lauri will swim in
the 100 Fly.
Junior Fernando Rubio and sophomore Steven Blakely
will compete in three events. Rubio will
compete in the the 200 and 400 IM. Rubio is coming off a first-place finish in
the 400 IM in Mason's last meet, the Patriot Invitational. Blakely will compete
in the 200 IM with Rubio and in the 200 Back.
Senior Cole Jamison and freshman Kyle Sockwell will
appear in one event each for the Patriots. Jamison will race in the 100 Fly and
Sockwell in the 200 IM.
Junior Paige Impink and freshman Melissa Davis will
be the two representatives for the women in this year's championships. Impink
will swim the 100 Fly, an event she recently broke the team record in at the
Patriot Invitational, and the 100 Back. Davis will compete in the 200 Back.
Recent graduate and All-American Ashley Danner will
be competing in four events at the winter championships as well. Danner will
swim in the 50 Free, 100 Breast, 200 Breast and the 200 IM. In last year's
championships, Danner finished 19th in the 100 Breast marking the
highest finish for any Patriot at the U.S. National Championships.
Fans can follow Mason's progress throughout the meet
on the USA Swimming's website by clicking here.
For the order of events and complete schedule click
here.
