CONTACT: Julie O’Neill, Swimming Program Manager, 719-866-2036

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA (December 9, 2005) – U.S. Paralympics Elite Team member Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md. / Merritt Towson Manta Rays) continues to leave her mark on the record books at the 2005 U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships being held at the University of Minnesota.

In today’s preliminaries Long set new World, PanAmerican and American standards in the SM8 Women’s 200 meter Individual Medley (2:54.17). Her 50 meter Butterfly lead-off split during the event was also a new American mark. Thus far in the competition, Long has set a total of 3 World, 4 PanAmerican and 5 American records.

A total of 9 new American marks were set during the morning preliminaries including Anessa Kemna’s (Long Lake, Minn. / Mach 3 Flyers) finish of 3:11.41 in the SM11 Women’s 200 meter Individual Medley; Roy Perkins (Del Mar, Calif. / Peninsula Aquatics) in the Men’s S5 50 meter Butterfly (41.01); and Michael DeMarco (Del Mar, Calif. / Peninsula Aquatics) in the Men’s S3 50 meter Freestyle (1:00.93).

The competition continues through December 10th, with preliminaries beginning each morning at 10:00 a.m. and finals each evening at 7:00 p.m.

Complete results are available online at www.usparalympics.org.