June 20, 2012

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Rice swimmers Casey Clark and Erin Flanigan have qualified for the United States Olympic Trials that begin next week in Omaha, Neb.

Both Owls qualified to compete in the year's biggest swim meet in the United States where a chance to make the 2012 Olympic Team is on the line. The freshmen duo swam for the Owls during the 2011-2012 collegiate swim season, where they helped the Blue & Gray finish second in the team standings at the Conference USA Championships.

Erin Flanigan Hanszen College

Clark broke a 14-year old Rice record in the 100-yard butterfly and notched a pair of third place finishes in the at the C-USA meet. Flanigan posted some of the top times in school history in four different events, highlighted by a pair of second place finishes in the C-USA's 500-freestyle and the mile. Both freshmen standouts were part of the same Owl foursome that crushed the previous school record in the 800-freestyle relay.

The U.S. Olympic Swim Trials is structured to run like swim events in the upcoming London Olympics. The trials, under the direction of USA Swimming, is set for June 25 to July 2 at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb. Entrants will have to advance through three separate rounds for a chance to make the 2012 United States Olympic Swim Team.

Clark and Flanigan have both qualified to compete in two events. Their respective schedules for the trials is as follows:

June 25 - Clark in 100-meter butterfly
June 26 - Flanigan in 400-meter freestyle
June 27 - Clark in 200-meter freestyle
June 28 - Flanigan in 200-meter butterfly