RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Freshman swimmer Alia Atkinson (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) qualified for her second championship final in as many days at the Pan American Games on Wednesday morning.

The freshman All-American, swimming for her birth country of Jamaica,
qualified for the final in the women¹s 100-meter butterfly on Tuesday, an event she competed in sparingly for the Aggies last season. Atkinson, who was the Aggies¹ top breaststroker and one of their top freestyle sprinters as a freshman, finished seventh in the 100 fly final in a time of 1:02.92.

Her best time of 1:02.40, a new Jamaican national record (Old record: Tamara Swaby, 1:03.95, 2003), came during the semifinal rounds on Monday. All three of Atkinson¹s 100 fly swims came in under the old national record. Atkinson now holds at least a share of an eye-popping 10 Jamaican national swimming records.

The three-time conference champion and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year qualified for the final in the women¹s 100-meter breaststroke this morning after clocking a time of 1:13.01 to rank seventh overall. Atkinson raced to a time of 1:12.25 during Tuesday¹s prelims, also ranking seventh after the first rounds.

Atkinson advanced to the semifinals in the 50-meter freestyle earlier in the week. She clocked a time of 26.71 during prelims then finished 11th during the semifinals in 26.74. Atkinson was the Big 12 bronze medalist in the 50 free this past season.