Sept. 8, 2008
NORFOLK, Va. -- Twenty-five newcomers grace the 2008-09 Old Dominion men's and women's swimming and diving rosters this season, including two Olympians who competed for their native Iceland at the 2008 Olympics this past summer in Beijing.
Erla Dogg Haraldsdottir (Njardvik, Iceland) swam the 100 breast and 200 IM in Beijing this past summer. The Olympian and 24-time Icelandic champion holds 11 Icelandic records including the 50, 100, and 200 breast, the 200 and 400 individual medley, and the 200 fly in the 25-meter pool, as well as the 50, 100, and 200 breast, 200 individual medley, and 200 fly records in the 50-meter pool. Haraldsdottir also won 11 medals participating in the Small Nation Games in 2003, 2005, and 2007. She brought home a total of seven gold and four silver.
Arni Mar Arnason (Mosfellsbaer, Iceland) swam the 50 free in Beijing for Iceland this past summer. Arnason holds the Icelandic record in the event having captured a time of 22.81. An Icelandic champion multiple times throughout his career, he won the Nordic Junior Championships in the 100 breast in 2005 and also competed at the European Junior Championships.
Other newcomers include:
Gregory Bird - Northamptonshire, England/Hampton Roads Academy - IRV - Free/Fly
Prep: Competed for Hampton Roads Academy during the 2006 and 2007 seasons...Qualified for Junior Nationals.
Philip Brooks - Smithfield, Va./Nansemond Suffolk Academy - Coast Guard Blue Dolphins - Breast/IM
Prep: Competed for four years at Nansemond Suffolk Academy...Named Team MVP...Holds school records in the 200 IM, 100 breast, and 200 medley relay. As a member of the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins was coached by ODU swimming alumni Steve Griffin.
Christine Clemons - St. Simon Island, Ga./Glynn Academy - Brunswick YMCA - Breast/IM
Prep: Three-time All American...a US Open qualifier in the 400 IM...Competed for four years at Glyan Academy...State finalist from 2002-06...Team MVP in 2003 and 2005...Recipient of the "Coaches Award" in 2006.
Casie Connolly - Williamsburg, Va. - Crow Canyon - Free
Raymond Curry - Falls Church, Va. - Patriot Dive Club - Dive
Tim Daniels - Oakton, Va. - Machine Aquatics - Free
Prep: Competed for four years at Vienna High School... NCSA Jr National qualifier in the 50 Free...Holds the state record in the 200 relay. Coached by ODU swimming alumni - Dan Jacobs.
Eric Doordan - Burke, Va. - Curl Burke - Free/Fly
Prep: A NSCA junior national qualifier....In high school was coached by ODU swimming alumni Leslie Blaine.
Emma Forbes Peekskill, N.Y./Putnam Valley - West Point Swim Club - Free
Sean Frye - Springfield, Va./Lake Braddock - Curl Burke - Free/Fly
Prep: Competed in four years of swimming while at Lake Braddock...At Lake Braddock he was coached by swimming alumni Leslie Blaine.
Larisa Gaba - Richmond, Va./Clover Hill - Swim Quest - Breast
Prep: Transfer from Wingate University...Competed for four years for Clover Hill High School...Member of the Swim Quest swim club. At Swim Quest she was coached by ODU swimming alumni Dudley Duncan.
Molly Hom - Newport News, Va./Warwick - Coast Guard Blue Dolphins - Breast
Prep: A NISCA junior national qualifier...Coached by ODU swimming alumni Steve Griffin and Jeff Scott.
Kellyn McCrone - Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan - Ocean County YMCA - free
Prep: Competed in four years of swimming while at Manasquan High School...Received 1st Academic honors as a freshman, junior, and senior, and 2nd honors as a sophomore.
Agata Nowak - Gorzow, Poland/Clemson - Stowianka Gorzow - Fly/Free
Transfer from Clemson...
At Clemson: Recorded two season best times at the Nike Cup in the 50 freestyle (25.37) and 100 butterfly (58.13) during the preliminary heats...Was also a member of the 14th place 200 medley relay (1:48.11) and 19th place 400 medley relay (3:57.47)...Started off the year with a sixth place finish in the 100 butterfly (1:00.06), and an eighth place finish in the 200 butterfly with a season best time of 2:17.34...Had her best regular season finish in the 100 butterfly in a win over Duke by placing fourth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 59.52.
Prep: Received nine medals in Polish Senior National Swimming Championship, including one gold medal...Placed sixth and seventh in butterfly at the European Swimming Championship..
Kristian Ramkvist - Bjaras, Sweden/Sk Lodde - Breast/IM
Begins his first season swimming with the Monarchs...Sat out last season after transferring from East Carolina...
At East Carolina: All-conference status in the 200-yard breaststroke with an ECU varsity record time of 2:03.11...Also set an ECU freshman record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a mark of 57.65...
Prep: Was a Swedish Junior National champion twice...Represented Sweden at the European Junior Championships and Nordic Junior Championships...Won many junior national championship medals from 2001-2004...
Bryan Russell - Prince George, Va. - Back/IM
Prep: Member of the club team Swim Quest...Junior national qualifer swam for ODU alumni DUdley Duncan..
William Shults - Roswell, Ga./Rosewell - Chattahoochee Gold - Fly
Prep: Four-time state finalist and County Champion at Roswell High School...Two-time team MVP
Tiffanie Sheehy - Va. Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes - TIDE - Breast
Prep: Competed in four years of swimming while at Ocean Lakes...Holds the 400 IM relay record...Honored with the "Coaches Choice" award...
Elizabeth Spicuzza - Lyndhurst, Va. - SMAC - Free/Fly
Madeline Stiles - Fairfax, Va./Oakton - Machine Aquatics - Fly/Free/IM
Prep: Competed for four years at Oakton High School...NCSA Jr National qualifier in the 100 Fly...Named MVP...Swam for ODU swim alumni Dan Jacobs at Machine Aquatics.
Allison Terres - Va. Beach, Va./Kempsville - ODAC - Breast/IM
Kelsey Thompson - Chesapeake, Va. - Dive
Jayme Weimer - Victoria, Canada/Oak Bay - Pacific Coast Swimming - Free
Prep: Competed for four years while at Oak Bay high school. Qulaified for Candain Nationals in the 100 and 200 free and 100 back.
Lauren Weldon - Bethseda, Md./Holy Cross - Aquahoyas - Back
Prep: Swam for four years while at Holy Cross...Sister of ODU swim alumns- Kirk and Scott Weldon.