A&M Freshman Qualifies for Second Final at Pan American Games
Jul 18, 2007 | Women's Swimming and Diving
July 18, 2007
Freshman swimmer Alia Atkinson (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) qualified for her second championship final in as many days at the Pan American Games on Wednesday morning.
The freshman All-American, swimming for her birth country of Jamaica, qualified for the final in the women's 100-meter butterfly on Tuesday, an event she competed in sparingly for the Aggies last season. Atkinson, who was the Aggies' top breaststroker and one of their top freestyle sprinters as a freshman, finished seventh in the 100 fly final in a time of 1:02.92.
Her best time of 1:02.40, a new Jamaican national record (Old record: Tamara Swaby, 1:03.95, 2003), came during the semifinal rounds on Monday. All three of Atkinson's 100 fly swims came in under the old national record. Atkinson now holds at least a share of an eye-popping 10 Jamaican national swimming records.
The three-time conference champion and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year qualified for the final in the women's 100-meter breaststroke this morning after clocking a time of 1:13.01 to rank seventh overall. Atkinson raced to a time of 1:12.25 during Tuesday's prelims, also ranking seventh after the first rounds.
Atkinson advanced to the semifinals in the 50-meter freestyle earlier in the week. She clocked a time of 26.71 during prelims then finished 11th during the semifinals in 26.74. Atkinson was the Big 12 bronze medalist in the 50 free this past season.
