Northwestern University Athletics
Ellen Grigg Makes NCAA Championships Field
3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
March 5, 2009
2009 NCAA Championships Official Psych Sheet (PDF Format) 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Sophomore Ellen Grigg (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin School) will represent Northwestern at the 2009 NCAA Championships March 19-21 in College Station, Texas, after qualifying for the meet in three events.
Grigg will swim in the 200 free, 500 free and 1,650 free for the Wildcats at the NCAA meet. She earned first-team All-America honors in the 500 free last year as a freshman, and also picked up a relay honorable-mention All-America accolade with the 800 free squad last season.
Grigg captured the bronze medal in the 200 free, won the consolation final of the 500 free and finished 11th in the 1,650 free at the 2009 Big Ten Championships. The sophomore swam a career-best time in the 200 free, cut more than nine seconds off her seed time for a season-best effort in the 500 free and also had a season top time in the 1,650 free at the meet.
Grigg was one of six Wildcats to earn NCAA consideration times in individual events, but dramatically faster qualifying standards and the proliferation of new "Super Suits" conspired to keep the 'Cats from sending a contingent as large as the eight-member squad that earned a 19th-place NCAA finish a year ago. All five of NU's relays also had consideration cut times in 2008-09.
Despite the lack of entries into the NCAA Championships, Northwestern still has had a tremendous 2008-09 season. Two school records already have fallen, and the Wildcats earned a 10-2 dual-meet mark to reach 10 wins in a single season for the first time in head coach Jimmy Tierney's 15-year tenure. Northwestern was ranked for the majority of the season -- finishing the year at No. 23 -- after defeating several ranked opponents.
