Bosevska Is Macedonia’s Athlete of the Year for 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA., January 9. SHE'S been an Olympian, an NCAA finalist and a school- and Atlantic Coast Conference record-setter.

Now, University of Virginia senior Mirjana Bosevska has been named her native Macdeonia's woman Athlete of the Year. She was voted this honor by the Macedonian Federation of Sport. The award is the most prestigious honor given by the Macedonian Olympic Committee.

Bosevska, the 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Swimmer of the Year, is a two-time Olympian, having competed in the 1996 Games in Atlanta and at Sydney in 2000. The 11-time All-America was 17th in the 400 meter individual medley (4:48.08), 18th in the 800 meter freestyle (8:46.39) and 20th in the 200 butterfly (2:12.59) in the 2000 Olympics — at that time prs and NRs too.

At last summer's European Championships in Berlin, Bosevska turned in a pair of top-eight finishes. She was fourth in the 400 IM with a pr/NR 4:46.42 and eighth in the 200 IM (pr/NR 2:16.80).

Bosevska was one of 11 Cavaliers named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary Women's Swimming and Diving Team, which was announced in August of 2002. In addition to being named the 2002 ACC Swimmer of the Year, she was chosen as the 2002 ACC Meet MVP.

The former Trinity (FL.) Prep standout — where she was a teammate of current University of North Carolina star and ACC sprint champ Christy Watkins — holds the Virginia and ACC records in the IMs (1:59.31/ 4:09.75) ). She is also a member of the Cavaliers' school record setting 800 free relay (7:15.75).

In the 2002-2003 season, Bosevska holds Virginia's top times in the 200 free (1:49.19), 1650 free (16:17.57), 200 butterfly (2:00.83), 200 I.M. (2:01.54), and 400 I.M. (4:13.31) — all swum at the three-day Tiger Invitational in Auburn last month.

She's already made the auto cut for the 2003 NCAA Championships in the 1650 freestyle and 400 IM.

— Bill Bell

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