Carrie Ellis Named Air Force Assistant Women’s Swimming Coach

USAFA, Colorado April 29. AIR FORCE women's swimming coach Casey Converse announced today that Carrie Ellis will join his staff as an assistant coach. Ellis, a five-time NCAA All-American, comes to the Academy after spending the past two seasons at the University of Alabama.

"We are excited to have Carrie Ellis join our staff," said Converse. "She brings a wealth of high-level athletic experience as a former All-American sprinter and national team member. Her exposure to some of the top club and NCAA programs in the nation adds great depth to her background. I look for Carrie to make her mark on our sprint program right away, and attract top athletes to the Academy in future years through her recruiting efforts."

Ellis, a 2006 graduate of Florida State University, has spent the past two years as a volunteer/graduate assistant coach with the Crimson Tide, working primarily with the sprint groups. She also served as a graduate assistant coach at her alma mater for the 2006-07 season.

Ellis' resume of swimming experience is quite impressive, including her college years. Beginning her collegiate career at the University of Virginia, Ellis earned All-America honors in 2002 as a member of UVA's eighth-place 200 medley relay team. She then transferred to Florida State, where she was a member of the swim team from 2004-2006. She again earned All-America distinction and helped lead FSU to a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay at the NCAA Championships.

A two-time team captain and most valuable swimmer for the Seminoles, Ellis was a key contributor as the team won its first-ever ACC Swimming Championship title in 2006. She was also the recipient of the Golden Nole Award, given to the top all-around athlete on the team, in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, Ellis set the FSU record in the 100 free, a mark which still stands today.

Meanwhile, Ellis' swimming career continued after graduation. A member of the U.S. national team competing at the 2008 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships in Manchester, England, Ellis placed 12th in the 50-meter freestyle. She was also a three-time U.S. Swimming Nationals finalist, placing fourth in the 50 free during the summer of 2007, while finishing sixth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free at the U.S. Short Course Nationals in December 2008. In addition, Ellis was honored as the USA Swimming/Florida Swimming Female Senior Swimmer of the Year in 2007.

Ellis, who is completing her master's degree in human performance with an emphasis on kinesiology, is the daughter of retired Lt. Col. Michael Ellis and Susan Ellis, who currently live in Tampa, Fla. Ellis lived at the Academy from 1986-88, as her father served as a captain with the 50th Airmen Training Squadron, while also teaching Navigation. Ellis also has a younger brother, David, who graduated from Florida State as well.

USAF Press Release

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use