The University of Florida men’s and women’s swimming team sent 11 of it’s 15 qualifiers at the 2005 United States World Championship Trials into action during the first day of competition at the IU Natatorium on Friday night.

Junior Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) became the first Gator swimmer to qualify for the 2005 World Championships as he touched the wall first in a time of 4:16.83 to claim 400-meter individual medley crown. Lochte, an Olympic gold and silver medalist, won the race by one hundredth of a second over Robert Margalis of Georgia.

In the men’s 400-meter freestyle the Gator quartet of Max Jaben (Overland Park, Kansas), Brian Hartley (Indianapolis, Ind) Matt Coan (Plantation, Fla.) and Grant Wieczorek (Carmel, Ind.) had strong races. The duo of Jaben and Hartley raced to times of 3:56.69 and 3:57.92 to place 10th and 11th respectively. Completing the race in times of 4:03.08 and 4:05.26, Coan and Wieczorek posted 20th and 32nd-place finishes.

Competing in the 100-meter breaststroke the UF tandem of Corey Welch (Larksville, Pa.) and Bill Mrazek (Tallahassee, Fla.) turned in times of 1:04.59 and 1:06.05 to finish in 18th and 32nd-place.

For the women, sophomore Leah Retrum (Columbus, Ind.) and senior Katie McCann (Walpole, Mass.) placed 12th and 13th respectively in the women’s 200-meter individual medley in times of 2:18.33 and 2:18.73.

 Sophomore Candace Weiman (Castro Valley, Calif.) was the lone Gator swimmer in the women’s 100-meter butterfly race. The Castro Valley native finished in 15th-place in a time of 1:01.59.

In the women’s 400-meter freestyle, freshman Kim Larson (Longwood, Fla.) and Katie Ball (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished in 20th and 27th-place in clockings of 4:20.53 and 4:23.09.

The 2005 U.S. World Championship Trials continue tomorrow through April 6 at the IU Natatorium.

-UF-