CLEVELAND - As part of the most successful Conference USA swim championships in school history, the Mean Green swim and dive team qualified 12 student-athletes for the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America National Invitational Championship. After freshman Alvena Walpole suffered an injury, the Mean Green will send 11 swimmers to Cleveland to represent at the national stage. 

The Mean Green will compete in 21 events across three days beginning on Thursday. North Texas qualified the maximum amount of athletes allowed, a rare feat. 

"I'm excited to be on the national stage," head coach Brittany Roth said. "I love that we get to have that Mean Green presence that will be there. These are some of the best swimmers in the country. This is a NCAA-caliber meet. This is exactly like basketball's NIT tournament. It's our best versus everybody's else's best and they get to see what we do here in Denton."

North Texas enters the competition with eight athletes sitting as a top-10 seed in their respective events. An athlete from each class - freshman through senior - qualified for the National Invitational Championships. Jowita Sienczyk is the only junior.

The Mean Green will be led by its young crop of talent. Freshmen Karigan Stanley and Bryanna Vasquez and sophomores Micayla Morgan, Robyn Lee, Leigh Faires McGee will get a lot of time in the pool.

It is a special moment for Lee who is coming off a broken arm in late 2018. Two plates and 13 screws later she's ready to compete in four individual events at the national level. 

"I have had to come back from pretty much nothing," Lee said. "Laying there in hospital talking with Coach Brittany, it seemed impossible. At conference swimming times I wanted to swim, it was a great feeling. It makes me realize why I keep swimming."

For the Mean Green seniors, this is their final chapter. Its the final collegiate competition for Brittany Thurstin, Kelsey Opiela, Emmabeth Jensen, Meaghan Rousset and Kathleen Rousset. 

"This has for sure been my best year at North Texas," Jensen said. "It's a great way to go out. Having had such a successful conference and getting another chance to do it. I have nothing to hold me back."

North Texas may be entering uncharted waters for the program, but it's easy for Roth to look towards the future and know she has what she needs thanks in part to her seniors.

"These seniors have been bought in since day one," Roth said. "They knew what we valued. They have been helping drive everything forward. It's very indicative of what's to come. I'm excited to have freshmen qualifying for this meet now, because it says great things for the next three years with them. It's remarkable."

The first swimmers hit the pool on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. with the 50-yard butterfly preliminarily sessions. 

Seed Times
200 Yard Freestyle Relay
-North Texas (A-Relay) 1:31.88

50 Yard Butterfly 
-Brittany Thurstin (24.89)
-Micayla Morgan (26.27)
-Kelsey Opiela (26.41)
-Karigan Stanley (26.87)

50 Yard Breaststroke
-Meaghan Rousset (28.81)
-Kathleen Rousset (29.96)

500 Yard Freestyle
-Bryanna Vasquez (4:59.68)

50 Yard Backstroke
-Jowita Sienczyk (25.24)
-Robyn Lee (25.83)

200 Yard IM
-Karigan Stanley (2:06.98)

50 Yard Freestyle
-Brittany Thurstin (22:79)
-Emmabeth Jensen (23.08)
-Kelsey Opiela (23.60)
-Leigh Faires McGee (23.70)

400 Yard Medley Relay 
-North Texas (A-Relay) 3:40.88

200 Yard Medley Relay 
-North Texas (A-Relay) 1:40.08

100 Yard Butterfly
-Emmabeth Jensen (53.80)
-Robyn Lee (56.43) 
-Kelsey Opiela (56.90)
-Karigan Stanley (57.90)

200 Yard Freestyle
-Leigh Faires McGee (1:46.66)
-Bryanna Vasquez (1:50.53)

100 Yard Breaststroke 
-Meaghan Rousset (1:02.95)
-Brittany Thurstin (1:03.40)
-Kathleen Rousset (1:03.99)

100 Yard Backstroke
-Jowita Sienczyk (54.27)
-Robyn Lee (56.70)

800 Yard Freestyle Relay 
North Texas (A-Relay) 7:19.19

1650 Yard Freestyle 
-Leigh Faires McGee (16:58.93)

100 Yard IM
-Brittany Thurstin (58.02)

200 Yard Backstroke 
-Robyn Lee (1:59.75)
-Jowita Sienczyk (2:03.23)

100 Yard Freestyle
-Leigh Faires McGee (49.73)
-Emmabeth Jensen (51.08)
-Bryanna Vasquez (51.47)

200 Yard Breastroke 
-Meaghan Rousset (2:19.48)
-Kathleen Rousset (2:20.69)

200 Yard Butterfly
-Karigan Stanley (2:03.68)

400 Yard Freestyle Relay 
North Texas (A-Relay) 3:25.79