Aug. 4, 2006

Irvine, Calif. - Alabama native Margaret Hoezler, a 2004 Olympian and former Auburn multiple national champion, swam to gold in the 200m back and Eric Shanteau took the bronze in the 200m IM at the ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif., on Friday evening.

With a bronze medal in the 100m back already in her collection, Hoelzer stepped up to the blocks with her sights set on gold in the 200m back. She swam a 2:14.14 in the prelims and entered the finals as the No. 2 seed behind Elizabeth Beisel (2:12.48). Hoelzer would prove to be too strong in the finals as the Huntsville native touched the wall in 2:10.71 for the win, nearly two seconds ahead of Beisel.

"This was a great swim for me," Hoelzer said. "I went out this evening to win the event and I am pleased that I was able to accomplish this."

With nearly two seconds knocked off his personal best time, Shanteau was able to earn bronze in the 200m IM, touching the wall in 1:58.05. Michael Phelps took the gold and Ryan Lochte the silver as all three medal winners finished in the same order as they stood after prelims, but all with faster times. Also swimming in the championship final was senior Doug Van Wie. Van Wie swam a faster 2:02.81 to place fifth.

In the B final of the 200m IM, rising-sophomore Jon Roberts, who swam a lifetime best 2:04.87 in the prelim, finished fourth in the finals (2:05.46). Rising-senior James Wike qualified for the B final (swam a PB 2:04.36 in the prelim), but did not swim.

Rising-junior Kristen Hastrup turned in nearly a two-second improvement in the 200m fly finals, 2:11.80, to earn the win in the B final. Hastrups' time would have been enough for sixth in the championship final. Classmate Julie Stupp ended up sixth with a one-second improvement on her time, 2:15.20. In the C final, Emily Kukors swam 2:17.47 to finish sixth.

Rising-sophomore Margo McCawley finished eighth in the B final of the 200m back with a time of 2:19.21. She was a 2:16.70 in the morning prelim, which was just .10 off her personal best.

In the men's 100m free, rising-senior Bryan Lundquist was clocked at 50.76 in the B final to take eighth. Senior Kurt Cady, who swam a personal best 50.71 in the prelim, touched the wall in 51.08 to grab sixth in the C final.

Competing in the morning prelim's were Matt Bartlett (200m IM), Scott Goodrich (100m free), Hoelzer (200m fly), Mark Johnson (200m IM), Ava Ohlgren (200m fly), Sean Osborne (200m IM), Steve Scheren (100m free), Van Wie (100m free) and Taylor Weber (200m fly).

For more information on the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships visit www.usaswimming.org. Omega timing will provide live results via www.omegatiming.com.