Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Courtney Warren Qualifies for Swimming World Championship Trials
6/22/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
June 22, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Courtney Warren (Montour Falls, N.Y./Watkins Glen), a member of the Bucknell women's swimming and diving team, qualified for next month's World Championship Trials with a solid performance at this past weekend's Summer Solstice Meet in Gloucester, N.J. Warren earned a qualifying time in the 100-meter backstroke, clocking in at 1 minute, 3.82 seconds to claim first in Saturday evening's finals.
Warren, who finished first in 1:04.01 in Saturday's preliminaries, needed to swim faster than 1:03.89 to qualify for the World Championship Trials. She won the finals race by a whopping 1.59 seconds over runner-up Allison Roberts after posting a 1.52-second victory in the prelims.
The World Championship Trials will take place July 7-11 in Indianapolis, Ind. Warren, who will be a senior in the fall, will be joined at the meet by classmate Luke Trafton (Bath, Maine/Morse), a member of the Bison men's swimming program. Trafton qualified for the prestigious event at the Patriot League Championships and will swim the 1,500-meter freestyle. Many of the swimmers who made headlines at the 2008 Beijing Olympics are expected to compete at the meet, including Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin.
Warren, the school record-holder in the 100-yard backstroke (55.02) who also ranks in the top five in program history in the 50 free (23.36), 100 free (51.39) and 200 back (2:07.17), had an outstanding junior campaign in 2008-09. She was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection and posted three top-five finishes at the Patriot League Championships, which were held at Kinney Natatorium. Warren, a three-time All-League choice, did not finish lower than third in the 100 back all season and won the event at the ECAC Championships. Additionally, she placed third in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free at ECACs.
