April 29, 2005

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina's outstanding swimming and diving recruiting class grew by two more individuals Thursday when it was announced Nikki Griswell and Sarah Proctor have returned their signed National Letters of Intent. Coach Frank Comfort has now signed 10 women and three men to NLIs during the 2004-05 school year.

Lauren Nicole "Nikki" Griswell hails from Charlotte, N.C. where she swims for Mecklenburg Aquatic Club under Coach Kathy McGee, a former UNC swimmer. Gamble attends North Mecklenburg High School where she is under the tutelage of Steve Billings. Her career best times are 4:23.30 in the 400-yard individual medley and 58.01 in the 100-yard butterfly.

Sarah Proctor also is from Charlotte, N.C. and she swims for Club NOMAD and North Meklenburg High School both under Coach Steve Billings. Proctor has gone as fast as 23.85 in the 50-yard freestyle, 52.00 in the 100-yard freestyle and 57.17 in the 100-yard butterfly.

The two new additions bring to 10 the numbers of swimmers and divers wgo have signrf national letters of intent to attend North Carolina in August 2005.

The eight women's recruits who signed their NLIs last November include Mandi Arak, Aubrette Biegel, Jennifer Frazier, Lindsay McIlvain, Hannah Mein, Nicole O'Donnell, Sarah Scott and Whitney Sprague.

Mandi Arak hails from Scottsdale, Ariz. and is a 2004 high school All-America in diving. Arak attends Clavadista Del Sol High School where she has been coached by Joe Lyons and Josh Rusboldt. Arak is the 2004 Arizona high school diving champion and also a U.S. Diving national qualifier.

A native of Schererville, Ind., Aubrette Biegel attends Lake Central High School and is a superb distance freestyler and U.S. Swimming senior national qualifier. She has competed for Watauga Swim Team coached by Jim Tonkovich and Nike Indiana Swim Team piloted by Bryon Angerman. Biegel's personal best times are 1:50.25 in the 200-yard freestyle, 52.60 in the 100-yard freestyle, 2:07.11 in the 200-yard individual medley and 4:57.42 in the 500-yard freestyle.

Jennifer Frazier of Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. attends Satellite High School. Frazier will be a boost to the Tar Heels' breaststroking corps. She has personal best times of 1:04.71 in the 100-yard breaststroke and 2:18.61 in the 200-yard breaststroke. She also has a best time of 2:06.38 in the 200-yard individual medley.

Lindsay McIlvain will join the Tar Heels from Brentwood, Tenn. where she swims for Coach Dawn Vancuren. A U.S. Swimming Senior national qualifier and U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, McIlvain has career bests of 9:53.80 in the 1000-yard freestyle, 4:49.70 in the 500-yard freestyle, 4:19.77 in the 400-yard individual medley, 16:31.30 in the 1650-yard freestyle and 2:02.00 in the 200-yard butterfly. She also competes for the Nashville Aquatic Club, coached by John Morse.

Coached by the legendary Dick Shoulberg at the Germantown Academy, Hannah Mein is a native of Doylestown, Pa. She has personal bests of 4:22.00 in the 400-yard individual medley, 2:03.10 in the 200-yard butterfly and 57.23 in the 100-yard butterfly.

Nicole O'Donnell is another addition to Carolina's distance freestyle group. She has a career best time of 16:20.44 in the 1650-yard freestyle and 4:50.23 in the 500-yard freestyle. A U.S. Swimming senior national qualifier and 2004 Olympic Trials qualifier, O'Donnell is from Cornelius, N.C. and attends Hopewell High School, swimming for coach Chris Mallory. She also swims for Coach Kathy McKee at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Club.

Sarah Scott is a local swimmer who attends Durham Academy and swims for coach John King at the Chapel Hill YMCA. A native of Pittsboro, N.C., Scott has gone 23.75 in the 50-yard freestyle, 56.50 in the 100-yard butterfly and 52.24 in the 100-yard freestyle.

Whitney Sprague finishes off the Tar Heel recruiting class as another stellar addition to the distance freestyle corps. A senior national and Olympic Trials qualifier, Sprague is from Bronxville, N.Y. and had career bests of 4:49.21 in the 500-yard freestyle, 9:54.12 in the 1000-yard freestyle and 16:42.87 in the 1650-yard freestyle. Sprague attends Bronxville High School and swims there for coach Dom Galimi. She also swims for Badger Swim Club coached by John Collins.