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cavalier profile Rachel Naurath Third-Year • Swimming It did not take long for Richmond, Va., native Rachel Naurath to make her presence felt at UVa. In her first two years on Grounds, she won three ACC titles and earned five AllAmerica accolades. At the 2011 ACC Championships, Naurath claimed first place in the 200 butterfly (1:55.28) and was part of the winning 800 freestyle relay in helping the Cavaliers claim the school's fourth straight ACC team championship. Then, at the 2011 NCAA Championships, Naurath set the school and ACC records in the 500 freestyle (4:38.48) en route to honorable mention All-America honors. "That's something I had been working for all season," said Naurath, who was also part of the 800 freestyle relay that won an ACC title and earned honorable mention All-America honors. "I had never broken 4:40, so that was something I could always shoot for. To do that and set the school record was really awesome." One year later, she topped her time in the 500 freestyle (4:37.87) and finished 10th at the 2012 NCAA Champion- ships to earn honorable mention All-America honors again. She also garnered honorable mention accolades with the 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle relays. The 800 freestyle relay team she was a part of holds a place in the school and ACC record books. After winning an ACC title, the Cavalier quartet posted a time of 7:03.00 to set a league record and place ninth overall at the national meet. Naurath led off and posted a time of 1:44.52 in her leg of the relay, which was the second-fastest 200 freestyle time in ACC history. "It was my all-time favorite race in college," Naurath said. "Our team stepped up and it was so exciting. We really shocked everyone with that." In addition to her illustrious career at Virginia, Naurath made her presence felt in two separate Olympic Trials. In 2012, she competed in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle, as well as the 100 and 200 butterfly. "The atmosphere [at the Olympic Trials] is really something unlike anything else in our sport," Naurath said. "I didn't have a good meet, but just being there for the experience was awesome. Being at the meet at that level at any point is just awesome because it's the highest level for my sport." — Drew Goodman ◆ Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVa