Massengale Qualifies For Olympic Trials
8/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Aug. 4, 2005
IRVINE, Calif. - Rice sophomore Brittany Massengale qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials with the best 800-meter freestyle of her career (8:43.74) Wednesday evening at the USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine, Calif.
Massengale was a full seven seconds under the qualifying standard for the 2008 Olympic trials. The native of Alma, Arkansas, was seeded 21st among an elite field of 63 at USA Swimming's annual national championship event. Going head-to-head with some of America's best, the Owl sophomore finished ninth overall and was seconds behind event winner Kate Ziegler (who won the 800 at the world championships last month in Montreal) and 2004 Olympian Diana Munz (who finished fifth).
Though the 2008 Beijing Olympics are still three years away, USA Swimming allows athletes who reach the qualifying times at its championship events to remain eligible to participate in the next Olympic trials. Massengale has secured a spot and will represent Rice at the 2008 Olympic trials her senior year.
The national championships continue through Sunday. Massengale next competes in the 400-meters on Saturday followed by her speciality, the 1500, on Sunday.
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