Swimming Adds Three Signees For 2006
11/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Nov. 16, 2005
HOUSTON - On the eve of the team's participation in the Georgia Tech Invitational this weekend in Atlanta, three prep swimmers with experience at the high school and club levels have signed with Rice and will join the team in the fall of 2006, Owls head coach Seth Huston announced on Wednesday (Nov. 16).
The Owls' new signing class consists of Megan Land of Cumming, Ga., Erin Mattson from Highland, Ill., and Pam Zelnick of Troy, Ohio. Coach Huston stated that as the Rice program's success and reputation has grown, the caliber of the recruiting classes have followed suit.
"This is a great group and I am excited about the direction our program has taken with recruiting the last few years," Huston said. "We improved ourselves in the freestyle sprints, butterfly and breaststroke. In addition to being great swimmers they are all in line with Rice's challenging academic curriculum and they will be a great fit at the University."
The current Rice swim team is next in action at the Georgia Tech Invitational this Friday through Sunday. The three-day, eight-team meet includes Rice, Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Gardner-Webb, Miami (Fla.), Western Kentucky and host Georgia Tech. The Georgia Tech Aquatic Center was the site of all swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competition as well as the swimming portion of the modern pentathlon during the Centennial Olympic Games in the summer of 1996.
2006 Rice Signee Bios
MEGAN LAND
Freestyle, Cumming, Ga. (South Forsyth HS / Swim Atlanta Club)
* U.S. Open and Junior National qualifier.
* State runner-up in the 50- and 100-freestyle
* Coached by Meredith Hogue (South Forsyth HS) and Jeff Hike (Swim Atlanta Club)
* National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) Academic all-America and member of the National Honor Society
Seth Huston said: "Megan has made big strides in competitive swimming in a short period of time. We really like the momentum she has in her swimming career right now and feel her best years are ahead of her. What really impressed us is that she has a sense of direction and maturity that is uncommon in high school seniors. We think that will serve her well in college. Megan will be focused primarily on freestyle events, and she's versatile enough to compete from the 50 to the 500."
ERIN MATTSON Butterfly/Freestyle, Highland, Ill. (Highland HS / Edwardsville YMCA Breakers Club)
* U.S. Open and Junior National qualifier
* Central zone individual high-point winner
* Switzerland junior national champion
* State club champion
* Coached by Vicky Buehne (Highland HS) and Bob Rettle (Edwardsville YMCA)
* Academic all-America and member of the National Honor Society
Huston: "Erin is a small town girl with big time talent. I see her really taking off in college. She comes from a great age group program that hasn't over-burdened their swimmers. She has made a steady progression in her career and is ready for the next step in her level of training and competition. Erin will fill an important role with Rice University as a butterfly specialist and freestyler in the sprints to middle distances. Her personality, academic ability and athleticism make her a great fit at Rice University."
PAM ZELNICK Breaststroke, Troy, Ohio (Troy H.S. / Dayton Raiders Club)
* U.S. Open and Junior National qualifier
* Greater Western Ohio Conference Swimmer of the Year
* State finalist in the 100-breaststroke and two-time finalist in the 200-freestyle
* Coached by Jason Scott (Troy HS) and Kevin Weldon (Dayton Raiders Club)
* Academic all-America and member of the National Honor Society
Huston: "Pam is a diamond in the rough. She has made huge strides in the last year with the Dayton Raiders Swim Club. I am sure this year will be no exception and I am positive that Pam will be a big time Division I swimmer at Rice University. She fills our weakest event, the breaststroke, and helps improve our medley relays significantly. We also will look to Pam in freestyle and IM events."
