Three Bulls Named to Mid-Major All-America Teams

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo men's and women's swimming and diving program placed three individuals on the 2008 CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major All-America Teams. Sophomore divers Michael McDowell (Rush, NY/Rush Henrietta) and Meili Carpenter (Boulder, CO/Fairview) were named to the first team while sophomore swimmer Andrea Lehner (Lockport, NY/Orchard Park) was selected to the women's honorable mention squad.

A total of 13 men and 30 women were named to the first team, based on their qualification for the 2008 NCAA National Swimming and Diving Championships. Honorable mention spots were given to those individuals who achieved NCAA "B" time standards during the season.

Michael McDowell

McDowell was the lone Mid-American Conference honoree on the men's first team. He was the second-place finisher in the men's platform diving competition at the NCAA Zone A Championships, held at UB's Alumni Arena Natatorium in March. He finished second in both the one- and three-meter diving events at the 2008 MAC/Sun Belt Championships in Nashville. During the regular season, he set the UB school records on both the one- (344.79) and three-meter boards (382.65), was named MAC Swimmer of the Week three times and earned Academic All-MAC honors.

Meili Carpenter

Carpenter became the first woman to represent UB at the NCAA Division I National Championships, competing in the one- and three-meter springboard and platform diving events. She won the platform competition at the NCAA Zone A Championships to earn her invitational to the national meet. Carpenter earned Second Team All-MAC honors at the league meet. She broke her own school records in the one- (330.75) and three-meter (336.20) events during the regular season.

Andrea Lehner

Lehner, in her first season at UB after competing her freshman year at Maryland, became the first UB women's swimmer to earn a MAC championship since 2005 as she won the 100-yard backstroke, setting a school record (55.74). Lehner also reached the championship finals of the 200-yard backstroke and the 500-yard freestyle, setting new school records in both. In all, Lehner set four individual school records and was part of three of UB’s four record setting relay teams at the MAC Championships, earning First Team All-MAC honors.

Mid-Major institutions are designated as colleges or universities that are not affiliated with a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference as well as those institutions awarding less than half of the maximum-allowable scholarships (seven for women, five for men).