Three swimmers from the University of Mary Washington and one from St. Mary's College of Maryland have qualified to compete at the 2008 NCAA Division III championships the next two weeks at Miami (Ohio) University. Hosted by the College of Wooster (Ohio), the women's national championship meet will be held March 13-15 while the men's championship will be held March 20-22.

In the women's championship, UMW senior Lorena de la Garza (Blacksburg, Va./Blacksburg) and freshman Sara Crockett (Taono, Va./Lafayette) will join St. Mary's sophomore Rachel Hotchko (Yakima, Wash./A.C. Davis) at the NCAA Championship.

De la Garza, the 2005 CAC Rookie of the Year, will compete in the 100 and 200 butterfly, while Crockett, the 2008 CAC Rookie of the Year, will swim in the 200 and 500 freestyle and the 200 backstroke. Hotchko will compete in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly and 50 freestyle at the national championships.

In the men's championship, UMW freshman Stephen Clendenin (Ashburn, Va./Home Schooled) will carry the CAC banner, competing in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 backstroke. Clendenin was the 2008 Rookie of the Year.