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Four-time All-American NCAA Champion
Career Bests: 50 free (23.32); 100 free (49.95); 200 free (1:47.60); 100 fly (54.86); 200 IM (2:01.44)
A four-time All-American who is looking to remain healthy and come up with a breakthrough season ... Has made significant contributions despite not being fully healthy for each of the last two years, coming up big in some important meets ... A versatile swimmer that can swim the 50, 100 and 200 free events, as well as the 100 fly and 200 IM ... Crucial on Stanford's relay teams ... A sneaky fast swimmer with effective technique ... Currently ranked 96th in the world in the 50m free (25.92).
As a Sophomore in 1999-2000: A two-time All-American ... Swam the third leg (25.40 split) of the team's second-place NCAA 200m free relay team (1:40.48), while finishing 16th in the 100m free (56.20, 55.78 prelims) and tied for 30th in the 50m free (25.92 prelims) ... Contributed to the third-place 400m free relay team at the NCAA's, swimming the second leg (55.56) for the team in the trials (3:42.46) ... Finished seventh in the 50 free (23.33, career best 23.32 in prelims) and 11th in the 100 free (50.86, 50.68 prelims) at the Pac-10 Championships ... Swam the third leg of the second place 200 free relay team (22.70 split) at the Pac-10 Championships (1:31.42) ... Also participated throughout the year on 200 and 400 medley relay teams as well as in the 200 free.
As a Freshman in 1998-1999: Swam the third leg on the NCAA champion 800 free relay team (47.33 split) ... Also earned All-America honors in the 400 free relay (49.44 split), which placed fourth ... Finished 18th in the 200 IM (2:01.44), 23rd in the 200 free (1:49.15) and 40th in the 100 free (50.81) ... Swam the third leg of the 200 free relay (22.89 split) in prelims ... Placed fourth in both the 100 free (50.70) and the 200 free (1:48.20) at the Pac-10 Championships ... Also was ninth in the 200 IM (2:01.66) ... Swam on the Pac-10 champion 800 free relay (1:48.24 split) that broke the Pac-10 meet record, and on the 200 free relay (23.17 split) that was third ... Won the 200 free (1:51.15), 200 IM (2:02.95) and 200 back (2:05.25) at Notre Dame in her first collegiate meet.
International/National Competition: Placed fourth in the 100m fly at the 1999 Pan American Games ... Ranked 19th in the world in the 100m fly for 1998 ... Won a silver medal on the 400m free relay team at the 1998 Goodwill Games ... 1998 USA Swimming All-American in 100m free ... Member of USA Swimming's National "B" Team in 1996 and 1998 ... Won the 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM at the 1997 Junior Nationals ... Ranked 13th in the world in 1996 in the 100m fly ... Placed seventh at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100m fly
High School: 1998 National Independent Prep Champ in the 50 free (23.43) and the 100 free (49.95) ... USS All-American ... Four-time member of the honor roll.
Club: Swims for the Walnut Creek Aqua Bears ... Coached by Rick Millington.
Personal: Human Biology major ... Daughter of Iren and Imre Bereknyei.
Coaching Staff on Bereknyei: "Sylvia is suffering from some kind of immune system disorder and if she could become healthy, she could play a tremendous role on all the relays, the fly and free sprint events, and the 200 IM. She's a tremendously talented and versatile swimmer. She has the kind of talent where she should have been on the Olympic Team this year, and it was very hard on her not to train this summer, but we thought it was the best thing for her future and her health. If she's healthy, we are so much stronger because of her versatility. We just want to see Sylvia healthy. If she's healthy, she's a formidable weapon for us. She gives us the kind of flexibility in a dual meet to keep the other teams guessing because of her flexibility."