Marist Director of Aquatics Larry VanWagner announced the signing of six student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent to attend Marist in the fall of 2008 last week. Michelle Fountain (Sayville), Emily Garndener (Fairport), Allison Kreho (Shelton, Conn.), Amanda Letchko (Newton, N.J.), Meredith Michl (Delmar) and Caroline Skjong-Nilsen (Palmetto Bay, Fla.) will all join the women’s swimming and diving squad for the 2008-09 season.
Michelle Fountain –Sayville High School
Fountain was an All-American in the 400-yard freestyle relay and received All-American consideration in the 200-yard freestyle relay. She swam at the Junior Nationals in the 200, 400, and 800-yard freestyle relays and was named All-State in the 100 and 200-yard freestyle events. In the top six percent of her class, Fountain qualified for her state sectionals in the 100, 200, 1000, and 1650-yard freestyles.
Emily Gardner – Fairport High School
A four-year member of the varsity swimming and diving team at Fairport High School, Gardner was a captain and won the Section 5 State Sportsmanship Award as a senior. She was a sectional champion in the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard freestyle relay. A three-time All-County selection, Gardner also received All-American consideration in the 200-yard freestyle relay. She was a Speedo Sectional Athlete and also received a Scholastic Acheivement Award.
Allison Kreho – Shelton High School
Kreho, a three-time USA Swimming Scholar Athlete, had an impressive career at Shelton High School. She holds the school record in the 100-yard butterfly, the 100-yard backstroke, and the 200-yard individual medley. She was also a member of a record-breaking 200-yard medley relay team. A four-year Southern Connecticut Conference finalist, Kreho is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society and was a Top 16 State of Connecticut swimmer all four years of high school. She was a two-year member of the All-SCC Team and was the captain of Shelton High School’s team as a senior
Amanda Letchko – Pope John XXII High School
Letchko placed in the Top 16 of the New Jersey State YMCA Championship in five different events and continued to the YMCA Nationals in two events. A First Team All-Area selection, Letchko was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the SCIL.
Meredith Michl – Bethleham Central
Michl is from the same swimming and diving club as present Marist diver Katherine Carpenter (Ballston Lake) and former Red Fox diver Melissa Mangona. Michl is a New York State Championship and Empire State Game qualifier in diving, and she will look to make an immediate impact in the diving lineup.
Caroline Skjong-Nilsen – Gulliver School
Skjong-Nilsen is a three-time member of an All-American 200-yard freestyle relay team and Miami Herald All-Dade Swimming Team. She was also a three-time district champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, and twice qualified for the State Championships in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.
As a senior at Gulliver, Skjong-Nilsen was given the Senior Achievement Recognition Award which recognizes the honors student who has exemplified what it means to excel as both a student and an athlete.
The Marist women’s swimming and diving team, who graduated two decorated seniors this past season, will look to these newcomers to help fill their shoes. The Red Foxes are coming off their fifth straight MAAC Championship in 2008.
Marist women to add Maryland transfer
Marist women’s basketball head coach Brian Giorgis announced last week the addition of 5’10” guard Katheryn Lyons to the Red Foxes’ roster. Lyons comes to Marist after playing her freshman year at the University of Maryland. She will redshirt next season and have three years of eligibility.
“Kat’s a great addition to our program,” said Giorgis. “She’s a winner, coming from Maryland and from a very successful high school program. Kat’s a versatile perimeter player and can shoot the three. To get a player of her caliber from a school like Maryland, it shows how far our program has come.
Lyons appeared in 24 games for the Terrapins during the 2007-08 season. She averaged 2.1 points per game in 9.9 minutes a game, shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 60 percent from the three-point line. She was a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc in scoring a career-high nine points in games against UMBC and Wake Forest.
A native of Kernersville, N.C., Lyons was a four-year letter winner at Bishop McGuinness High School. She led the Villains to back-to-back Class 1A state titles as a junior and as a senior, with the team going 32-1 her senior year and earning a No. 11 ranking in USA Today. Lyons was a four-time AP First Team All-State selection and was named the North Carolina State Tournament Most Valuable Player as a junior and senior. During that same time period, she was the runner-up for North Carolina’s Player of the Year.
The Red Foxes finished the 2007-08 season with a record of 32-3, setting a program record for wins. Marist won its fifth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season title, becoming the first team to go undefeated in league play since it expanded to 10 teams. The Red Foxes won their fourth MAAC Tournament title in five years and also won an NCAA Tournament game for the second straight year. Marist earned a seventh-seed in the New Orleans regional and defeated DePaul 76-57 in the first round.