Laura Shepard Class: Senior Hometown: Pound Ridge, N.Y. High School: Staples Event: Butterfly/Freestyle Birthdate: 02/27/1978

AS A JUNIOR: Swam the anchor leg on the ’99 BIG EAST champion 200 freestyle relay team, which won with a NCAA consideration time of 1:32.96 ... 200 free relay time set a school and BIG EAST record ... also a part of 400 freestyle relay team that set a University record of 3:26.61 at the BIG EAST meet ... ’99 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-Academic honoree ... placed seventh in the 50 free, 10th in the 100 free and 11th in the 100 butterfly at the BIG EAST Championships ... logged second-fastest time in 100 freestyle for the Irish ... second in the 50 freestyle against Illinois and Ohio State ... runner-up in the 200 freestyle at Shamrock Classic ... four top-five finishes in 50 freestyle ... represented Westport YMCA of Connecticut at the Phillips 66 National Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Swam the anchor leg on the second-place 200 free relay at the 1998 BIG EAST Championships ... finished in a school-record time of 1:33.86 ... had five top-three finishes in the 50 freestyle ... finished fifth in the 50 freestyle at the ‘98 BIG EAST championships with a 23.88.

AS A FRESHMAN: Recorded two top-10 finishes at the ‘97 BIG EAST championships, placing seventh in 50 freestyle and ninth in 100 butterfly ... had eight top-three finishes in dual meets ... double winner in the 50 free against Pittsburgh and Connecticut.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Won five letters at Staples High School, four in swimming and one in diving ... named to the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association all-academic team ... 1995 YMCA national champion in the 400- and 200-yard freestyle relay ... four-time high school All-American in the 200 free and the 200 medley relay ... honorable mention high school All-American in the 50 free ... Staples High School record-holder in the 50 and 100 freestyle ... owns five school records and Connecticut state records in 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay ... two-time team MVP ... born February 27, 1978, in Red Bank, N.J. ... enrolled in the College of Business Administration with a major in finance.