Feb. 14, 2006

College Park, Md. - The Maryland women's swimming and diving team, which finished the regular season at 7-5 (4-4 ACC), prepare to host the 2006 ACC Championships as the conference descends upon the Campus Recreation Center in College Park. The Terps, who won the championship last season, finished this year's regular season in 5th place in the newly-expanded 11-team conference.

Coming into the conference championships, the Terps already have two competitors who may be headed to the NCAA Championships next month. Sophomore Nicole Rose (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) put up A-cut scores in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dive. As the Terps hosted the Terrapin Cup Invitational, Rose posted a 448.65 on the 3-meter board. Then, during the Jan. 21 meet at NC State, which the Terps won 127-114, Rose put up an impressive 281.48 on the 1-meter board.

Senior Krisztina Kovacs (Budapest, Hungary) could also be headed to the NCAAs thanks to her B-cut times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. Kovacs, who posted 3 victories in the 100 breast on the year, put up her best time in the Jan. 13-14 meet at Pittsburgh against Villanova and Pitt when she raced to a time of 1:02.94.

Even more impressive was her record in the 200 breast, where she went undefeated on the season with 6 victories, all of which were better than the B-cut qualifying time of 2:18.27. Her best time came on Senior Day at the CRC against Virginia, when she posted a time of 2:14.35.

Three Terps on this year's team were awarded All-ACC honors as a result of their performances in the ACC championship last season. Junior Gigi deToll (Culpeper, Va.) won her second consecutive ACC title in the 100 butterfly. She was also a member of the victories 200 and 400 medley relay teams.

Junior Sasha Malanina (Volgograd, Russia) finished third in the 400-IM, and was a member of the 800 free relay team. Finally, Kovacs earned All-ACC honors for her second place finish in the 200 breast.

The meet begins with the relay events on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Natatorium of the Campus Recreation Center in College Park.