May 2, 2011
NORFOLK, Va. -- Junior swimmer Erla Haraldsdottir (Njardvik, Iceland) was named First Team Mid-Major All-American while five of her teammates earned Honorable Mention status it was announced by CollegeSwimming.com on Monday.
Haraldsdottir made an appearance at the 2011 NCAA Championships and earned four All-CAA honors for her performance with the 400 medley relay squad in addition her three NCAA "B" cut times in the 100 and 200 breast and 200 individual medley this past season.
Haraldsdottir's second place performance in the 100 breast at the championships gave her the 23rd fastest time in the nation in the event. Her time of 1:00.46 was not only an NCAA "B" cut to help her qualify for the NCAA Championships, but also a new Lady Monarch benchmark in the 100 breast. Haraldsdottir reset her own record of 1:01.15 that she had set earlier in the 2010-11 season at the conference championships. At the NCAA Championships, she placed 29th in the field of 49 in a time of 1:01.40.
Haraldsdottir also posted an NCAA "B" cut time with her performance in the 200 breast. She swam to a second place time of 2:12.58 for a new Lady Monarch benchmark in the event, surpassing her previous mark of 2:13.32 set earlier in the 2010-11 season. She was also one of three Lady Monarchs in the finals of the 200 IM. She took third overall with a NCAA "B" cut time of 2:01.81. Earlier in the day, she swam to a time of 2:00.18 in the prelims, besting her own ODU record of 2:01.30.
Earning Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-American were senior April Barrientos (Va. Beach, Va.), sophomore Kimberley Rashleigh (Sydney, Australia), junior Arni Arnason (Mosfellsbaer, Iceland), sophomore Jason Brame (Lynchburg, Va.) and freshman Sidni Hoxha (Tirane, Albania).
Arnason was chosen as the CAA Men's Swimmer of the Year for the second time in his career in 2011 and in all picked up six All-CAA honors - 100 & 200 breast, 200 IM, 200 & 400 free relay, and 200 medley relay - this past season. The junior captured three events and set a pair of records at the CAA Swimming Championships. He broke the conference record in winning the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:47.62 and also set a new meet record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:56.58, the 33rd fastest Division I time. His third victory came in the 100 breaststroke where he touched the wall in a time of 53.55, the 31st fastest time in the country. Arnason was selected as the CAA Men's Swimmer of the Meet for his efforts.
Hoxha was named the Co-CAA Men's Swimming Rookie of the Year and earned All-CAA as the CAA champion in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 20.01 and as the conference champion in the 100 freestyle with a time of 44.56. He also placed eighth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:40.96.
Brame set a new Monarch benchmark in the 400 IM en-route to all-conference honors in the event. Brame took third in the 400 IM with a time of 3:54.88, surpassing the previous ODU record of 3:56.96 set by John Wenham in 1996.
Barrientos swam her way to her third 100 back title at the CAA Championships, resetting not only the ODU record, but her own CAA record as well. Barrientos claimed the title in a time of 54.44, replacing her previous record-setting mark of 54.75, and posting a NCAA "B" cut time.
Rashleigh took second in the 200 back with a NCAA "B" cut time and new ODU Lady Monarch record of 1:59.14. Rashleigh, who is the only Lady Monarch to swim the 200 back in under two minutes, reset her own mark of 1:59.73.