March 16, 2002

EVANSTON, Ill. - Four swimmers will represent the Northwestern men's team at the 2002 NCAA Championships, according to official psych sheets released Friday.

All-Americans Tony Swanson (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) and Kellan O'Connor (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy Prep) will each make their second trip to the championships in as many years, while Mark Hamming (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) and Adam Kennedy (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) make their first appearance.

Swanson, the Big Ten Champion in the 200 IM and 200 backstroke, will compete in those events and the 100 back. He is seeded in the top seven in each event. The sophomore finished seventh in the 200 IM and 16th in the 200 back at the 2001 NCAA Championships.

O'Connor will compete in the 100 and 200 butterfly events, having won the Big Ten Championship in the 200. At last year's NCAAs, he took fifth in the 200 fly. O'Connor also will swim in the 200 IM.

Hamming rounds out the trio of NU swimmers in the 200 IM, and he will also join O'Connor in the 100 and 200 fly events.

Kennedy, who is the first Wildcat to swim the 50 freestyle in under 20 seconds, qualified in that event.

The championships take place March 28-30 in Athens, Ga.

Unofficial Psych Sheet Seedings
200 IM
3. Tony Swanson, 1:45.64
24. Mark Hamming, 1:47.58
25. Kellan O'Connor, 1:47.62

50 freestyle
20. Adam Kennedy, 19.96

100 butterfly
30. Kellan O'Connor, 48.08
34. Mark Hamming, 48.25

200 butterfly
3. Kellan O'Connor, 1:44.35
24. Mark Hamming, 1:46.06

100 backstroke
7. Tony Swanson, 47.63

200 backstroke
5. Tony Swanson, 1:42.94