March 14, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - Three members of the 2007-08 University of North Carolina men's swimming and diving team have earned invitations to compete in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships March 27-29 at Federal Way, Wash. Senior distance freestyler Philip Owen of Scottsdale, Ariz., will be joined at the championships by a pair of freshmen - Joe Kinderwater of Lancaster, Pa., and Tyler Harris of Richmond, Va.

Owen heads to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year after earning the final automatic spot in the field in the 1650-yard freestyle with his No. 22 seed time of 15:10.87. Owen is also seeded No. 39 in 4:22.95 and No. 48 in the 200-yard freestyle at 1:37.77.

First-year entrants Kinderwater and Harris both knew their fates earlier. Kinderwater had an "A" automatic qualifying time in the dual meet versus NC State and Harris copped his "A" time in the ACC Championships.

Kinderwater will be the No. 7 seed in the 1650-yard freestyle at 14:57.78 and the No. 43 seed in the 500-yard freestyle at 4:24.51.

Harris' automatic time came in the 400-yard individual medley where he earned seed No. 11 at 3:47.04. Harris seeded No. 33 in the 200-yard butterfly at 1:47.35 and No. 55 in the 200-yard individual medley at 1:49.26.