SHERMAN, Texas - The NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee has announced the swimming participants in the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, and Austin College women's swimmer Sammi Thiele was invited to compete in the 100 backstroke at the event.

Thiele, a junior from Keller, becomes the first 'Roo swimmer to ever earn a spot at the NCAA Division III Championship Meet after winning the 100 back and setting a new conference record at the 2023 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships earlier this month. Thiele qualified for the national championships with a B-Cut time of 56.22 in the event, and she was among the participants announced this week.

Thiele was an All-SCAC performer in three events at this year's championship meet, and also earned multiple All-Conference accolades during her sophomore season. She holds a number of Austin College women's swimming records, including the 100 backstroke. Remarkably, this is the first season in which she's competed in that event. While other 'Roo swimmers have earned B-Cut qualifying times, Thiele is the first Austin College competitor to make it to the national stage.

The championships will be held March 15-18 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Old Dominion Athletic Conference and Greensboro Aquatic Center will serve as hosts. A total of 579 participants (526 swimmers and 53 divers) will compete in the championships.

Student-athletes qualified for the swimming portion of the championships by meeting the established minimum time for the events in which they entered. The complete list of all swimmers competing in the championships is available at www.usaswimming.org/ncaa.