Miami Signs Nine Preps

OXFORD, Ohio, November 28. TWENTY-fifth year head coach Dave Jennings and the Miami University women's swimming and diving program announced today (Nov. 28) the signing of nine student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Megan Brunn (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield), Sarah Bullock (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual), Carly Gibson (Silver Spring, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross), Jensen Henry (Omaha, Neb./Westside), Katherine Reinmann (Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahoochee), Nicole Roddenbery (Peachtree, Ga./McIntosh), Katie Swank (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State), Kelsey Vehr (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) and Maria Viverette (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) will join the 15-time Mid-American Conference Champions for the 2007-08 school year.

"The class of 2011 is a very talented group and should make an immediate impact in the MAC and at the national level," Jennings said. "This class will be the foundation for the program's future success. They are both great leaders and outstanding students, and we are certain they have the potential to contribute to the Miami community and our swimming program."

A three-sport athlete who has lettered in tennis, cross country and swimming, Megan Brunn (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield) has excelled in the pool as a two-time state qualifier and district champion. As the Mansfield High School record holder in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley, Brunn was named the 2006 Ohio Cardinal Conference Swimmer of the Year and was tabbed for the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association All-American (NISCA) Swim Team. Brunn also earned academic all-Ohio honors each of the past two seasons and placed on the 2006 News Journal Scholar-Athlete First Team. Brunn's sister, Carolyn, currently attends Miami, while her father, Mark, ran cross country at Biola University.

"Megan is a very talented multi-sport athlete, and we are really looking forward to working with her," Jennings said. "We look for her to make strong improvements when she commits to one sport in college."

The 2006 Kentucky High School Champion in the 500 freestyle, Sarah Bullock (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual) helped duPont Manual High School win back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006. Bullock placed as the state runner-up in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore, and she posted back-to-back third-place finishes in the 200 freestyle in 2005 and 2006. A two-time all-state honoree, Bullock also has excelled at the club level, swimming for coach Mike DeBoor and the Lakeside Seahawks which won the 2005 Combined USA National Junior Team Title and the 2006 Women's USA Swimming Sectional Short Course Championship. Bullock comes from an athletic family as her father, Steve, was a distance runner at The University of North Carolina, and her mom, Beth, was a swimmer at the University of Cincinnati.

"We're really exited to welcome Sarah to Miami," Jennings said. "She is a tremendously hard worker, and having already competed at the Junior National level, we look for Sarah to make an impact at the Senior National and NCAA levels."

A four-year letter winner, Carly Gibson (Silver Spring, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) has put together a successful prep career at the Academy of the Holy Cross. Named the team MVP in each of the past three seasons, Gibson also was tabbed as team captain for her senior season. Gibson comes from a strong swimming background as both her parents, Mary and Kevin, swam collegiately.

"Carly will help solidify our mid-distance freestyle group, especially in the 200 and 500 freestyle," Jennings said. "Carly comes from a nationally-recognized program with coach Tim Kelly and the Curl Burke Swim Club. She is a natural leader in the pool and at school where she is currently her high school class president."

A three-time state qualifier, Jensen Henry (Omaha, Neb./Westside) finished as the 2006 Nebraska state runner-up in the 200 freestyle. In her three seasons on the varsity squad, Henry has posted three top-five state finishes in the 200 freestyle, a pair of fourth-place showings in the 500 freestyle (2004 and 2005) and a third-place finish in the 100 butterfly (2006). A two-time team captain, Henry helped Westside High School place as the 2006 runner-up in the Metro Conference and at the Nebraska State Swimming and Diving Championships. Henry also was named to the academic all-conference and all-state teams and was tabbed as a USA Swimming Scholar-Athlete. In addition, Henry's father, Bill, swam at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

"As a multi-event athlete, Jensen will contribute to our middle distance and butterfly groups," Jennings said. "Jensen swims for a great club program in Swim Omaha coached by Docker Hartfield, and she is extremely dedicated to swimming and academics. She is a young woman who will add a lot to our program."

A three-time state qualifier, Katherine Reinmann (Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahoochee) has helped Chattahoochee High School to back-to-back top-three finishes at the Georgia state meet, including a third-place finish last season. Reinmann posted a pair of top-eight state finishes in the 100 backstroke (2004 and 2005), and she also earned all-American consideration for the 200 medley relay in 2004. Also a two-time scholar all-American, Reinmann was tabbed as the swimming team captain for her senior season.

"Katherine comes to us from the Dynamo Swim Club, and she will make an immediate impact in the backstroke events," Jennings said. Katherine is an extremely hard worker, and her enthusiasm for the sport is contagious."

A three-time all-American, Nicole Roddenbery (Peachtree, Ga./McIntosh) holds six varsity records at McIntosh High School. The Georgia state runner-up in the 100 butterfly for three straight seasons (2004-06), Roddenbery has earned team MVP honors on three occasions. The two-time team captain also posted a fifth-place finish at the spring sectionals in the 100 butterfly and an eighth-place showing in the 50 butterfly at the spring juniors. Roddenbery has twice been honored as a scholastic all-American and has served as the Georgia Swimming athlete rep to USA Swimming since 2005.

"In Nicole we've found a wonderful person and a well-rounded athlete who will help us in many different areas," Jennings said. "Nicole swims for coach Jamey Meyers and the Southern Crescent Aquatic Team, and she is a great technical swimmer who has the ability to make a national impact."

A multi-sport athlete who has lettered in tennis and swimming, Katie Swank (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State) has done her best work in the pool swimming for coach Mike Soderling and the Lawrence Aquahawks, finishing as a 10-time sectional qualifier. Swank, a three-time junior national swimmer, helped Lawrence Free State High School win the 2004 Sunflower League Championship and set five freshman records during the 2004 season. Also a National Honor Society member and a Kansas Scholar, Swank is a second-generation Miamian, as both her parents, Julie and Tom, attended Miami.

"We're excited that Katie is going to be a RedHawk next year," Jennings said. "Katie will help us with the freestyle and individual medley events, and her enthusiasm for Miami runs deep as a second-generation RedHawk."

A three-time all-American in the relay events, Kelsey Vehr (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) anchored St. Ursula Academy's 400 freestyle relay team the past two seasons, helping the team to third-place state finish in 2006. Vehr also swam on the 200 freestyle relay team, leading the team to a third-place state finish in 2005, and posted a state runner-up finish in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore. Named to the Cincinnati Enquirer all-city team as a junior, Vehr was tabbed as team MVP for the 400 freestyle relay last season. Vehr's sister, Lindsay, currently attends Miami, while her father, Nick, played football at the University of Notre Dame.

"Kelsey is a really strong distance swimmer as well as a top-flight breaststroker," Jennings said. "She swims for the Cincinnati Marlins and coach Chris Wolford, and she brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to the program."

A three-year letter winner, Maria Viverette (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) helped Oakland Catholic High School win two Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Titles in 2004 and 2006. As the 2006 WPIAL Champion and seventh-place state finisher in the 100 backstroke, Viverette led the Eagles to a runner-up finish last season in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Viverette also was tabbed as an Allegheny Mountain Swimming Scholastic All-American.

"Maria is especially strong in the sprint backstroke events, and she will provide great depth to our backstroke group," Jennings said. "She has a lot of potential to improve in the 200 backstroke in college, and we're excited to welcome her to our program."

Miami, the 15-time conference champion, is 5-0 this season, including 4-0 in the MAC, and riding a streak of 43 consecutive conference dual meet wins. Miami has not lost a MAC dual meet since Feb. 2001 and has won four of the last five MAC titles. Jennings, who owns 206 career wins, has guided Miami to eight of the past 11 conference crowns, produced 185 MAC individual and relay champions and mentored 82 Senior National qualifiers, and 27 NCAA qualifiers.

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