LA JOLLA, Calif. - Following impressive showings at the Pacific Coast Swimming Conference Championships last month, the UC San Diego swimming and diving teams will head to Canton, Ohio for the NCAA Division II National Championships this week. Head coach Scott McGihon will lead a contingent of 28 student-athletes to nationals this year, as the Tritons look to improve upon their finishes from a year ago. UCSD's women finished third in Houston in 2009, while the men placed seventh.

The Tritons broke 16 school records at the NCAAs last season and also received National Championship performances from the women's 200 medley relay team (Anju Shimura, Mercedes O'Brien, Jessica Ferguson, Aubrey Panis), Kendall Bohn in the 200 breaststroke event, and Dan Perdew in the 100 freestyle with an NCAAA record time of 43.30.

Traveling to nationals this season will be 14 men and 14 women. Representing UCSD on the men's side will be Perdew, Juan Pablo Carrillo, Jereme Barnett-Woods, Kyle Begovich, Chris Baier, Patrick Cohen, Sam Duimovich, Julius, Espiritu, Blake Langland, Todd Langland, Michael Lorch, Tyler Runsten Shaun Stringer, and Sam Stromberg. Shimura, O'Brien, and Ferguson also return to nationals this season for the Triton women and will be joined by fellow qualifiers: Casey Adams, Cari Cunningham, Beth Dong, Karla Holman, Alex Henley, Shea Kopp, Michelle McCadden, Neda Nguyen, Amber Tan, Megan Thomas, and Katherine Tse.

Henley, who finaled in four events at the NCAA National Championships as a freshman last season, heads to Canton after winning three individual conference titles in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 back. The performance helped the UCSD women to repeat as champions at the PCSC Championships February 10-13 in Long Beach. Henley was joined by Chris Baier on the men's side as PCSC Swimmers of the Meet, as the Tritons won both team titles for the second year in a row. Baier's conference performance included an upset victory in the 500 free and a third place finish in the 1650 free, just behind teammates Barnett-Woods and Begovich.

Other conference champions heading to nationals include Shimura, O'Brien, Ferguson, and newcomer Tse as part of the 200 medley relay team, Espiritu, Carrillo, Perdew, and Todd Langland with the men's 200 medley relay team, Runstein in the three-meter diving event, and Barnett-Woods and Dong in their respective 1650 free events. Carrillo, Perdew, and Shimura also added individual conference titles to their relay wins in the 100 breast, 100 free, and 100 back events, respectively.

The NCAA Division II National Championships will take place from Wednesday through Saturday at the C.T. Branin Natatorium, with Lock Haven University serving as the host institution.