July 9, 2009

BELGRADE, Serbia - Several SMU swimmers traveled to Europe to compete in the 25th World University Games in Serbia, with several posting high marks, including newcomer Miroslava Najdanovski.

Najdanovski, a Serbia native, has given head coach Steve Collins high hopes for the future after posting a new Serbia National Record in the 100-meter freestyle with a 54.73 in the semifinals. Najdanovski won the bronze medal, posting a 54.96. Hong Kong's Hannah Wilson took gold in the event with a 54.35.

Elzanne Werth was a mere two-tenths of a second from qualifying for the finals in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing tenth with a 1:00.86. The junior also finished 14th in the 50-meter butterfly with a time of 27.39.

Werth teamed with fellow South African Mustang Christy-Leigh Lategan, a sophomore, in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, leading their country to a fifth-place finish, posting a time of 8:14.01. The United States team won the event with a time of 8:00.49.

Junior diver Audra Egenolf finished second among American divers, posting a score of 223.60 to place 12th in the 10-meter platform dive. Mexico's Paola Milagros Espinosa won the event with a score of 354.45.

Petra Klosova, a recent Mustang graduate, made it to the semifinals in the 100-meter backstroke, but her time of 1:04.02 was not fast enough to get the Czech Republic native into the finals.

The swimming and diving events at the World University Games began Saturday, July 4, and will conclude on Saturday, July 11.