FAIRBANKS, Alaska, May 23. THE University of Alaska Fairbanks announced the signing of a pair of swimmers for the 2007-08 class. Abbey Jackson of Petersburg, Alaska and Mariya Pavlovskaya of Korolev City, Moscow both committed to becoming Nanooks.
Jackson, a four-time Region Five champion in the 100-yard backstroke, also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle races. She was the state champion in the 100-yard backstroke as a sophomore at Petersburg High School and named most valuable swimmer for the Vikings.
"Abbey is a swimmer we've had on the radar for a long time," said head coach Scott Lemley. "As a sophomore she was a state champion in the 100 backstroke and she comes in as a minute flat 100 backstroker and a minute flat 100 butterflyer. She's got at least two strokes where she's extremely competent."
Jackson also competed with the Viking Swim Club (Petersburg, AK) for seven years and received the Most Valuable Swimmer award as well as the Underwater Queen award. While competing with the Vikings, she finished a 100-yard backstroke race in 1:00.
Lemley expects Jackson to make an immediate impact on the team.
"She will add depth in two strokes," Lemley said. "Her times in the 100 butterfly are right behind freshman All-American Kelly Becker, while her times in the 100 backstroke are just behind freshman Jacqueline van Driessche."
Pavlovskaya, the first international swimmer to be recruited by the Nanooks, also boasts a remarkable list of swimming achievements. She won seven gold medals to help lead her team to first place at the Moscow Region Championships this year.
"She is probably one of the best 16 year olds in the whole Moscow region," Lemley said, "Russia is one of the major swimming powers in the confederated states; I think that says a great deal about her, that she's in such a competitive area in the old Soviet Union and has had such success."
Impressive by any standards, especially considering Pavlovskaya initiated contact with the Alaska swimming program herself.
"She contacted me," Lemley said. "She was looking at schools in the upper Midwest, places that would be close to home climate-wise. Once I saw the caliber of athlete she was and actually talked to her on the phone and heard how confident she sounded we went after her."
Pavlovskaya is also expected to be a significant asset to next year's team according to Lemley.
"We're looking at her to fill a void in our breaststroke," he said. "That's basically what we've needed in our medley relay to make it as a national caliber relay."
Special thanks to Alaska Fairbanks for contributing this report.