…North Carolina has named their captains for the 2012-2013 NCAA season. The four captains, elected by their teammates, are Katie Nolan, Stephanie Eisenring, Alex Gianino, and Brett Nagle. Nagle’s appointment is perhaps the most impressive, as he’s been named a captain in only his second season with the Tar Heels – he transferred from Wisconsin before last year. That speaks volumes about the leadership he’s shown to earn the respect from his teammates that quickly…
…North Carolina State has hired a new diving coach (there’s hopped over to join rivals North Carolina this summer) and it’s certainly a man with credentials. Josh Karshen comes over from three seasons spent coaching at Purdue, which is (with little argument) the country’s premier location for American diving. He also spent time in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he coached two Junior National finalists, two Senior National qualifiers, and three British Regional Team members….
…Two Canadian swim coaches were awarded with the Diamond Jubilee Medal for significant achievement and remarkable service, in honor of the Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne as Queen of Canada. The two coaches are Anne Ottenbrite-Muylaert, the head coach of the Pickering Swim Club, and Vicki Keith, of the Kingston Y Penguins. The Penguins are a program started by Keith, a former open water swimmer, that is designed specifically for disabled athletes and their able-bodied siblings…
…No Olympic spots were given out on the first night of the USA Diving Olympic Trials, but synchro prelims and semi’s did begin with a crew of former college stars leading the way. David Boudia (Purdue) and Nick McCrory (Duke) led the men’s platform synchro (more than 100 points ahead of their nearest competitors), while Kelci Bryant (Minnesota) and Abby Johnston (Duke) led the women’s 3-meter synchro. Bryant and Johnston will have a much tighter battle, though, as they stand only 6.51 points ahead of Christina Loukas and Kassidy Cook. No live results are available for the event because of the TV contract, but USA Diving’s recaps can be found here…
…The Japanese left the Sette Colli Trophy last week with the overall team title with 59 points (just ahead of the home team Italy at 51 points), but the meet served an even greater purpose than that. Through the sale of shirts and various autographed items from athletes at the meet, 10,000 Euros were collected for earthquake relief in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region that was devestated by earthquakes in May…