Gold Medal-Winning U.Va. Student Lauren Perdue To Be Honored at Feb. 3 Game

University of Virginia swimmer Lauren Perdue, a gold medalist in the 2012 London Olympics, will be out of the water and on solid ground when she is honored Feb. 3 at the Cavaliers’ women’s basketball game against Georgia Tech. She will be recognized for her achievements at halftime of the 1 p.m. game in John Paul Jones Arena.

A native of Greenville, N.C., Perdue represented U.Va. on the international stage as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team and won the gold swimming as part of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Perdue will also sign autographs prior to the game in the Kids’ Zone, located in the northeast corner of the arena’s lower level concourse. The game will be broadcast live on Regional Sports Networks.

“Lauren Perdue is a deserving honoree for this year’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day,” Virginia Director of Athletic Craig Littlepage said. “In addition to being a world-class athlete, she is a dedicated student and a wonderful representative of the University. I know our fans, especially young people, are going to enjoy meeting her before the game and joining us in recognizing her outstanding accomplishments at halftime.”

An anthropology major in the College of Arts & Sciences, she became the first Virginia female swimmer to earn an Olympic medal since Melanie Valerio won gold in the U.S. 4x100-meter freestyle relay in 1996. Perdue, U.Va.’s third female swimming medalist overall, is only the fourth U.Va. swimmer to win gold, joining Matt McLean, Ed Moses and Valerio. American Wendy Weinberg earned bronze in the 800-meter freestyle in 1976.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day brings national attention to the achievements of female athletes and to issues facing girls and women in sports. The event is co-sponsored by the University’s Athletics Department and Women’s Center.

Earlier in the day, the Women’s Center will honor Perdue at a reception from
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Colonnade Club, Pavilion VII. RSVP is encouraged by Jan. 28; click here. For information, email wcevents@eservices.virginia.edu.

Named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team, Perdue is a leader in sporting and academic excellence. A 12-time All-American and 17-time ACC champion, Perdue was named 2011 ACC Swimmer of the Year and ACC Swimmer of the Championships. (She was hampered by a back injury for much of the 2011-12 collegiate season.) She holds the U.Va. record in the 50-meter freestyle and the ACC and Virginia records in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. She also is a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay team that set conference and school records at the 2011 ACC Championships.

Past honorees at Virginia’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebrations include Paige Selenski and Michelle Vittese, members of the Cavalier field hockey team and gold-medal winners at the 2011 Pan-American Games with USA Field Hockey (and later members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, as well); Natalie Randolph, former U.Va. track standout and varsity football coach at Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C.; Lindsay Shoop, former U.Va. rower and Olympic gold medalist; and Barbara Kelly, longtime U.Va. athletics administrator.

Fans may purchase tickets through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone and in person. The Athletics Ticket Office is located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium and open weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (-8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (-8821).

Single-game ticket prices for all games are $10 for reserved seating, $8 for adult general admission and $6 for youth (18 and under), senior (60 and over) and U.Va. faculty/staff general admission.