INDIANAPOLIS - Sofia Pereira and Benedetta Pepe Pugliese punched their tickets to the NCAA Swimming National Championship with the release of the field for the championship set to begin on March 10-15 in Evansville, Indiana at the Deaconess Aquatic Center.
 
The duo are the sixth and seventh UNC Pembroke swimming student-athlete to secure a spot on the sport's biggest stage. It is the  just the second time that the Braves have sent multiple swimmer's to the event. 

The announcement marks the third-straight trip for Pepe Pugliese, and is the first for Pereira. 

A native of Avellino, Italy, Pepe Pugliese will compete in the 200-yard Breaststroke and the 400-yard Individual Medley. She is ranked 15th going into the championship in the 200-yard Breaststroke and 38th  in the 400-Individual Medley.

Pereira will compete in the 500-yard Freestyle, 1000-yard Freestyle, and 1650-yard Freestyle. She enters the championship ranked 39th in the 500-yard Freestyle, 26th in the 1000-yard Freestyle and 18th in the 500-yard Freestyle. 

The prelims of the 1000-yard Freestyle will be on March 11 at 10 a.m., with the 400-yard Individual Medley set to take place on March 12 at 10 a.m. The prelims for the 500-yard Freestyle will take place on March 13th, while the 200-yard Breaststroke and 1650-yard Freestyle prelim events will be held on March 14.