Women's Swimming & Diving | 2/18/2009 2:44:56 PM

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's swimming and diving team begin their postseason competition as they travel to Syracuse this weekend to compete in the 2009 New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships Wednesday through Saturday.

Tiger junior Caitlyn Burr (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) has won the 100-yard butterfly in the Empire 8 championship in each of her first two seasons. Burr is top-seeded in the state in that event as well as the 200-yard butterfly, the 200-yard individual medley, and the 500-yard freestyle. This season, she has been named Empire 8 Swimmer of the Week five times.

Burr enters the championship meet having won 24 out of 26 individual events this season. She broke new school records in the 400-yard individual medley (4:38.67), 200-freestyle (1:56.42), 200-butterfly (2:09.77), 500-freestyle (5:08.52) this season. Burr has provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 500-freestyle, 100-fly, 200-fly and 400-individual medley. In addition, Burr holds school records in the 100 and 200-yard individual medley. She is also part of five school relay records. Normally, Head Coach Mike Cahill prepares his athletes to be in top shape for the state championships, so expect Burr to lower some of her marks and perhaps, automatically qualify for a few NCAA events. Burr is the top-seeded swimmer in the 100-yard butterfly, 200-fly, 200-individual medley and 500-freestyle.

Ithaca College, which has captured each of the nine conference championships in women's swimming and diving, will defend its title as Empire 8 teams compete in championships.

Senior Lauren Botterbusch of the Bombers has won the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events the past two years, setting Empire 8 championship marks in both events in 2008, and is seeded first in the state in each event this season. She has been named Empire 8 Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week three times this year. Sophomore Sheila Rhoades earned Rookie of the Meet and Rookie of the Year honors last season, capturing the state and conference titles in the 100-yard freestyle. First-year swimmers Kelly Murphy (1,650-yard freestyle) and Missy Keesler (200-yard backstroke) have posted top times in the conference this season.

Senior Ashley Brinkman of Hartwick College was named Diver of the Meet and Diver of the Year in 2008 after sweeping the conference titles on the one- and three-meter boards.

Sophomore Laura Barito of Stevens Institute of Technology, a two-time Athlete of the Week this season, has recorded the conference's top times this year in the 50-yard freestyle and is the top seed in the state meet. Junior Gabrielle Czernik has posted the fastest conference time in the 100-yard backstroke.

Junior Erin Rappold of Nazareth College is the state's top seed in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Senior Brynja Seagren of Alfred University is top-seeded in the state meet in the three-meter dive and is seeded second on the one-meter board.

First-year swimmer Janet Rolf and sophomore diver Ashley Van Patten of Utica College have each earned Athlete of the Week honors this season.