COLLEGE STATION, Texas. -Sophomore Kate Mills and junior Alexandra Clarke competed at the 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships over the weekend at Texas A&M's Student Rec Center Natatorium.

Mills led the Crimson with a 23rd-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly. She touched the wall in 1:56.72, more than a second faster than the time that earned her 19th place last season. Her time was about a half-second off the pace of her school-record time at the Ivy League Championships. Forty-two athletes competed in the 200 fly.

Clarke had a top-30 performance of her own in the 1,650 freestyle, finishing 28th of 43 in 16:19.17. She swam nearly six seconds faster than her 21st-place time at last season's NCAA meet.

Both Crimson swimmers competed in the 500 free. Clarke placed 46th of 64 competitors in 4:47.47. Mills touched one spot later in 4:47.75. Clarke improved 22 places and nearly five seconds from her performance in the event at the 2008 NCAA meet.

Mills also placed 37th in a field of 64 student-athletes in the 200 free. She finished in 1:47.35.

The meet was the culmination of an outstanding season for Harvard. The Crimson won Ivy League and ECAC Championships and posted a 6-1 record in dual meets.