Claire Hawley was one of just eight swimmers nationwide that were selected to compete on the U.S. National Team in the Open Water World Championships to be held in Naples, Italy August 29-September 3. She will swim in the 25k event at the competition.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; June 21, 2006 - Claire Hawley, a distance swimmer and soon to be a senior on the women's swimming team at Penn State, has been selected by USA Swimming as one of eight swimmers nationwide that will comprise the United States National Team that will compete at the 2006 Open Water World Championships, which will be held August 29-September 3 in Naples, Italy. Hawley's inclusion on the team was mainly based on her performance in the recent U.S. Open Water National Championships, in which she finished second in the 25k race held in Fort Myers, Fla. earlier this month.

Open water competition, which consists of swimming in open bodies of water such as lakes, bays, or rivers, has increased in both popularity and exposure over the past year due to the fact that the 10k distance will be contested for the first time in the Olympics in 2008. Prior to this point, open water swimming has not been an Olympic event.

In addition to finishing second in the 25k event in Florida, Hawley also competed in the 10k competition and finished in eighth place.

Her second place performance in the 25K was her highest finish in open water competition. Last year she placed fourth in the 10k and fifth in the 5k events in the same meet. This year she opted out of the first day 5k event so that she could concentrate on the 10k and 25k.

"I am thrilled that Claire has been chosen to represent the United States in Naples, Italy. It is a fitting compliment to Claire, her primary coach Ed Bartsch, our distance training program and especially to Penn State Swimming and Diving," said Penn State head swimming and diving coach Bill Dorenkott. "The number one goal now is to prepare to swim fast at the FINA Open Water World Championships."

"I have a new found appreciation for both Claire and the 25k race," said PSU assistant swimming coach Ed Bartsch, who coaches the distance swimmers. "It is an absolutely grueling race that is as much a test of will and courage as it is an athletic feat."

Penn State Swimming and Diving has a rich tradition of open water swimming success. Margy Keefe finished second in the world in the 10k event last August at the FINA World Championships that were held in Montreal, Quebec.

Former Nittany Lion Regan Stacey, a member of the swimming team from 1992-95, was a member of the 1999 USA Pan Pacific Championship Team, which competed in Sydney, Australia. There she took the silver in the 25k. In 2000 Stacey was once again a member of the USA National Team for the FINA Open Water World Championships held in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she took sixth place. Stacey also completed a successful English Channel Crossing in August of 2002, which was even more spectacular given that she completed it while three months pregnant.