May 28, 2008

FAIRBANKS, AK - Alaska swimming head coach Scott Lemley announced the addition of the program's first two recruits Wednesday, Anchorage native Lauren Langford and Lauren Sweet of University Place, Washington, who will join the Nanooks for the 2008-09 season.

A pair of collegiate transfers, neither swimmer competed at their former institutions and will enter UAF with four years of NCAA eligibility remaining. Langford, a West Anchorage graduate in 2007, transfers to Alaska from Washington State, while Sweet arrives from Tacoma Community College.

A 2007 West High School graduate, Langford was a four-year team captain and two-time Most Valuable Player for the Eagles. She qualified for state meets all four years, turning in career-best performances in the 100 butterfly (59.49 seconds), 100 freestyle (54.79) and the 50 freestyle (25.38). Her times in the 100 fly and 100 free, achieved in 2004 and 2005 respectively, best the fastest Nanook times from this season. As a freshman, Langford was also a member of the 200 medley relay team that set the state record.

"I recruited her as a junior and I thought she was all set to come up here as a senior," Lemley said. "She decided the last minute that she wanted to go outside (to Washington State) where she did not swim. Once she decided to go out of state, she fell off my radar. But then she missed swimming and wanted to come back, so we started to talk again and she's decided to come up and transfer."

Despite being out of formal competition at WSU, Lemley noted that Langford managed to stay in shape by playing intramural water polo. He also didn't foresee her year-long hiatus impeding her too much in the transition back to the sport.

"She's always been a very strong swimmer and now she's more mature and she's stronger," he said. "I think she's going to contribute right away. She'll definitely be training as a sprinter and a flyer so my suspicion is that she'll really blossom under the (Nanooks') regime."

Langford swam for Northern Lights swim club of Anchorage for 10 years under Cliff Murray, one of Lemley's former pupils. She plans to pursue studies in music and Spanish at UAF.

Sweet, a 2007 graduate of Curtis High School, attended TCC last year. She swam four years for the Cougars, serving as a captain her senior season. She qualified for the State Championships three years in a row, where she had her career-best performance in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.17). In her prep career she was recognized with the Captain's Award, Rookie Award, Coach's Award, and Most Improved.

A standout for the CHS water polo squad as well, Sweet was a team captain as a senior, named All-League MVP, earned First-Team All-State, and was named the All-State MVP.

"She was a good swimmer in high school and decided not to swim in college but she kept in the water," he said. "But she missed it. She looked for programs in the Pacific Northwest that she could transfer to and help out and when she did a search she found that there was a program up here."

A great fit for Lemley and the Nanooks, who were in need of a breaststroker: Sweet's best stroke. Lemley also noted that UAF's academic prowess was a key factor for Sweets decision to transfer. She will pursue studies in fire science with the goal of being a firefighter someday.

The duo is the first set of swimming recruits to join the Nanooks' 2008 class.