Pitt Panther Prowl

Pitt Panthers at Olympic Trials

The following is a letter which was sent to Pitt alumni about three Pitt Panthers from the swimming and diving teams (1 current student and two alumni) who are set to compete at the Olympic Trials beginning June 29. I am posting the whole letter so everyone can read about it and support them in their attempt to represent our nation and our university in Beijing in August.

Three Panthers Set For Olympic Trials*

Pitt’s swimming and diving team will be represented by
two of their top freestylers in recent history as well as one of its
fastest butterflyers at the 2008 US Olympic Trials, as senior *Stacie
Safritt* and alumni *Kristin Brown* and *Jason Miller* each qualified to
compete for a spot on the Olympic team at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.,
from June 29-July 6.

“These three athletes have helped to make a great name for the
Panthers,” said head coach *Chuck Knoles*. “Stacie and Kristin have
both been to NCAA’s and Kristin and Jason are both on Pitt’s ‘Walk of
Fame.’

“I am excited and proud to have worked with these athletes and I
know they will represent themselves and the Pitt community very well in
Omaha.”

Safritt *(Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley)* is the lone active
member of the squad to earn an invitation to the trials, after she
finished 17^th in the 50 free at 26.19 at the Omaha Swimvitational
Grand Prix.

This past season, she recorded several multi-event victories
including,first-place finishes in the 100 and 200 free against
St. Bonaventure and Virginia, and 50 and 100 free wins in meets
against Syracuse, Cincinnati and Notre Dame.

In the Big East Championships, Safritt posted an NCAA provisional
time in the preliminaries of the 200 free, and tied for seventh in the
finals. Later at the ECAC Championships, she recorded first-place
finishes in the 50 and 100 free with times of 23.77 and 51.25,
respectively.

The 2006-07 Big East/Aeropostale Student-Athlete of the Year, Brown
garnered an invite to the Olympic Trials in four freestyle events.
She will swim the 50, 100, 200 and 400 free. During the Mutual of Omaha
Swimvitational, Brown finished with top-15 times in the 200, 100 and
400, while placing 10th in the 200.

Brown ended her career at Pitt as a two-time Big East Champion in
the 200 free and held five school records.

A Big East Champion in the butterfly, Miller will compete in the 100
fly at the trials. During his career at Pitt, Miller won the 200 fly at
the conference meet in 2003, was a member of the 200 free relay team
that won a Big East title in 2005 and aided in a school record as the
anchor of the 200 free relay team at the 2006 conference meet.

Safritt, Brown and Miller hope to join Sue Heon and Angie Lopez as
the only Panther swimmers to compete in the Olympics.

Congratulations to Stacie Safritt, Kristin Brown, and Jason Miller in making it this far. We will be rooting for you guys. Hail to Pitt!!