Five Synchronized Swimmers Earn All-America Honors – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Artistic Swimming
March 29, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Five Buckeyes earned All-America honors this past weekend as the Ohio State synchronized swimming team won its fifth consecutive and 24th overall title at the 2004 Collegiate National Championships. The event was held Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Junior Lindsay Newbill and freshmen Becky Kim and Kate Hooven were three of 16 student-athletes named 2004 All-Americans. It was the second honor for Newbill and the first for Kim and Hooven. All-Americans are given to the Top 14 finishers (including ties – thus 16) who are United States citizens. In addition, sophomores Chelsea Luker and Carly Grimshaw, who both have dual citizenship in Canada and Great Britian, were two of seven participants named honorary All-Americans. It was the second honor for each of them.
Kim and Hooven were two of three athletes to earn All-Collegiate honors in Division 1. All-Collegiate status is awarded to the Top 3 individuals in each division (Division I, II and NAIA, III and club). Kim and Hooven tied for second place, while Stanford’s Katie Norris was the High Point Scorer.
Ohio State assistant coach Holly Vargo Brown earned her first Collegiate Coach of the Year accolades. Vargo-Brown took over the reigns for Linda Witter while she is serving as assistant coach to the U.S. National Team as they prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games.
In addition to success in the pool, 10 Buckeyes were honored as 2004 Academic All-Americans, including Marjorie Ardio, Jessica Beck, Heather Burdick, Katrin Eggenberger, Laura Green, Grimshaw, Valerie Jolibois, Katie Meyer, Megan Mikulecky and Stephanie Raftery. A record 158 student-athletes earned the status from 28 universities. Honorees must earn at least a 3.25 grade point average. The Buckeyes will close out their season at the 2004 U.S. National Championships April 29-May 1 in Palo Alto, Calif. The U.S. Nationals include the top synchronized swimming programs from all levels of competition.
