UW-L in Fifth-Place After First Day of NCAA III Championships; Hoff Finishes Fifth in 50 Freestyle; Relay Places Seventh

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Minneapolis, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's swimming and diving team is in fifth-place after the first day of competition at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. The Eagles have 42.0 team points. Kenyon University leads with 142.0 points while Denison University and Emory University are tied for second with 111.0. Williams College is in fourth-place (89.5). A total of 36 teams scored points.

Chelsea Hoff earned All-America honors Wednesday night with a fifth-place finish (23.20) in the 50 freestyle. It is her second All-America recognition in the 50 freestyle after placing ninth last season. Hoff, who tied for fourth (23.10) in the preliminaries Wednesday morning, will compete in the 100 backstroke Friday, March 20 and in the 200 backstroke Saturday, March 21.

The Eagles' 200 medley relay of Hoff, Brianna Peyer, Danielle Ellingson and Clare Hathaway earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish Wednesday night (1:45.59). The relay had recorded the eighth-best time in the prelims Wednesday morning (1:46.06).

With her two All-America honors Wednesday, Hoff now has eight in her career. Hathaway also has eight awards while Peyer has six. Ellingson picked up her first career All-America award.

Sophomore Rachael LaValley of Eau Claire (Memorial) earned NCAA III Honorable Mention All-America recognition Wednesday night with a 13th-place finish in the 3-meter diving (402.45 points). It is her first career All-America honor. LaValley will compete in the 1-meter diving Friday, March 20.

In other action Wednesday, Ellingson placed 22nd in the 200 I.M. preliminaries (2:07.82) while Peyer tied for 37th (24.32) and Hathaway tied for 53rd (24.92) in the 50 freestyle preliminaries. Ellingson will compete in the 400 I.M. Thursday, March 19. UW-L has two relays competing Friday. Hoff, Peyer, Katelyn Hartung and Hathaway will see action in the 200 freestyle relay while Hoff, Peyer, Ellingson and Hartung will compete in the 400 medley relay.

Preliminary action begins each day at 10 a.m. with the finals at 5:30 p.m.

For complete results at the 2009 NCAA III Swimming & Diving Championships, click here.

For live results, click here.