Junior Jessica Siegele and sophomores Laura Graham and Jessica Thompson will make their first career NCAA appearances this week at the 2004 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in College Station, Texas. The event runs from Thursday, Mar. 18 through Saturday, Mar. 20 at Texas A&M?s Student Recreation Center Natatorium. Kentucky has sent a women?s swimmer or diver to 11 out of the last 12 NCAA Championships.

Graham, a native of E. Sussex, England, and Thompson, a Matthews, N.C., native, are slated to compete during all three days of the meet, while Siegele will take part in two events on Friday. On Thursday, Graham will compete in the 200-meter individual medley, before taking part in Friday?s 100-meter breaststroke and Saturday?s 200-meter breaststroke. Graham?s ?A? cut time of 2:13.56 in the 200-yard breaststroke at last month?s SEC Championships enabled her to participate in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM events, in which she held NCAA ?B? cut times. Graham owns the Kentucky 100 and 200 breaststroke records.

Thompson’s season-long consistency paid off in the post-season, as she turned in a quality performance at the NCAA Zone B Diving Meet last weekend at Georgia?s Gabrielsen Natatorium to earn a berth in this week?s NCAA diving field. Thompson qualified for all three diving events: Thursday?s one-meter event, Friday?s three-meter competition and Saturday?s platform competition.

Siegele, a Wexford, Pa., native, earned NCAA spots in the 100-meter backstroke and butterfly events and holds the Kentucky 100 butterfly record. Siegele competes in each event Friday.

The swimming preliminary rounds begin at 11 a.m. CT each day with the swimming and diving finals scheduled for 7 p.m. CT each evening. The diving preliminary rounds are scheduled for 1 p.m. CT each day.

Live results for the 2004 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships will be available at www.aggieathletics.com.