Aug. 9, 2000
VILLANOVA, PA.--- At the United States Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., on Wednesday, Aug. 9, Villanova University sophomore swimmer Maddy Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./ Germantown Academy) fulfilled her Olympic dreams by qualifying for the 2000 Summer Games in the 400m individual medley. Crippen finished second in the 400 I.M. with a time of 4:42.81, less than two seconds behind Kaitlin Sandeno who crossed the finish line with a first place time of 4:40.91. The top two swimmers in each event qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Crippen, who also swims for Team Foxcatcher and renowned head coach Dick Shoulberg, becomes Villanova's first female swimmer ever to earn a spot on the United States Olympic team, and the school's second ever to qualify for the Olympics. Lisa Flood, a 1992 graduate, swam for her home country of Canada in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
On Wednesday morning in the preliminaries of the 400 I.M., Crippen tallied a third place finish to earn a spot in Wednesday night's final. In the finals of the 400 I.M., she stood in seventh place through the first 100 meters. It was in the second 100m where Crippen made her move up to second, a place she would not relinquish. She crossed the finish just 1.90 seconds behind the first place Sandeno, and 1.61 seconds ahead of the third place finisher Christina Teuscher.
As a freshman at Villanova in 1998-99, Crippen put together one of the finest seasons ever had by a Wildcat swimmer. She became only the second Villanova female ever to win a NCAA Championship, as she took home the title in the 400 yard individual medley. In addition, Crippen won a U.S. National Championship in the 200m breaststroke, was named the Big East Championship's Most Outstanding Female Swimmer, and won three Big East titles setting conference records in each of her events along the way.
Crippen redshirted this past season to train for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She will rejoin the Wildcats and head coach Rick Simpson in the fall of 2000, with three years of eligibility remaining.
Crippen will swim in three more events before the conclusion of the Olympic Team Trials. She will compete in the 200 I.M. on Saturday, Aug. 12, the 200 butterfly on Sunday Aug. 13, and the 200 breaststroke on Monday, Aug. 14.
