Liberty to send its first swimmer to NCAA Division I championships

Liberty sophomore Brye Ravettine has been selected to compete in the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships to be held March 15-17 at Martin Aquatics Center in Auburn, Ala.

Ravettine will be the first Liberty swimmer to compete at the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships in program history.

Ravettine will compete in three events at the national meet: the 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle. The Mahwah, N.J., native qualified with B cuts in all three events, while her 50 free time of 22.19 is the 15th fastest entered in the competition.

She was named the CCSA Swimmer of the Meet and CCSA Swimmer of the Year on Feb. 18, as Ravettine won two individual events at the conference championships and swam on two winning relays. She earned B cuts in winning the 50 and 100 free and also while getting second in the 100 back, helping the second-year Lady Flames to a second-place finish at the championships.

Earlier this season, Ravettine qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 50-meter freestyle, swimming a 25.99 at the USA Swimming Winter National Championships. She also was named CCSA Swimmer of the Week on Feb. 1.

• Read more on Liberty’s women’s swimming team at www.libertyflames.com