SWIMMING & DIVING

Heiss earns silver with lifetime best: BELGRADE, Serbia -- Texas A&M senior Kristen Heiss claimed a silver medal for the United States at the World University Games, swimming a lifetime best in the 200-meter backstroke Monday night.

Heiss was competing in her first major meet in nearly a year. She has only been competing for six weeks after rehabbing from October shoulder surgery.

She set a new personal record with a time of 2 minutes, 9.22 seconds in the 200 back. Her previous fastest time was 2:09.99 at the U.S. Open last August.

Great Britain's Stephanie Proud captured the gold medal with a Games record time of 2:08.91. Aggie Emily Neal also made Monday's final, finishing seventh in 2:13.53.

Canadian Melanie Dodds was the first A&M swimmer to compete in a final, placing seventh in the 400 individual medley in 4:53.24. Freshman diver Janie Potvin, another Canadian, qualified for the semifinals in the women's platform event, placing 15th overall.

The swimming portion of the World University Games will continue through Saturday. The U.S. world championship trials, in which eight more Aggies will compete, will begin Tuesday, while the Canadian world trials will begin a day later.

VOLLEYBALL

Three Aggies score top 10 finishes at Junior Olympics: Three of Texas A&M's incoming freshmen led club teams to top 10 finishes at the USA Junior Olympics, which concluded Saturday in Miami Beach, Fla.

Middle Blocker Lindsey Miller (Katy) led Texas Tornados 18 Mizuno to an 11-0 record and the American Gold Division championship. Abby Howden's (Austin) AJV 18 Mizuno team tied for fifth place and Tori Mellinger's (Dallas) Skyline 18 RoShamBo finished 10th in the Open Division.

The A&M volleyball team officially reports Aug. 9, and two-a-day practices begin Aug. 10. The Aggies open the season Aug. 28 against Iona at Reed Arena.