WILDCAT DIVING Head Coach Alik Sarkisian... 48 2008-09 OUTLOOK... 49 2008-09 RETURNERS... 50 2008-09 NEWCOMERS... 51
HEAD COACH ALIK SARKISIAN alik SARKISIAN Third Season Head Coach Alik Sarkisian was named Northwestern s head men s and women s coach prior to the season, and now is in his third year at the helm of the corps. Sarkisian joined the Wildcats after five years as the Director and Head Coach at the USA Diving Regional Training Center. In his first season at the helm, Sarkisian coached men s divers Ryan McIntosh and Alex Kiaie to scoring performances in all three events at the Big Ten Championships. His divers from both squads qualified for NCAA Zone Diving competition. Sarkisian repeated that effort with his divers in, with McIntosh and Kiaie again scoring on all three boards. On the women s side, fifth-year senior Leanne Dumais returned from a medical hardship season to reach the finals on both spring boards for the first time in her career. She became the first NU women s diver ever to finish in the top-eight in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the same Big Ten Championships. In his first collegiate head coaching job, Sarkisian quickly is learning the recruiting ropes, as well. He brought in a pair of highly touted women s divers in freshmen Carlin Dacey and CoryAnn Debronsky for the 2008-09 season, while also attracting talented transfer Kalister Harmon to the men s team. Combining Harmon with senior Kiaie, Northwestern s two squads boast both youth and experience entering the season. Sarkisian owns a wealth of head coaching experience. He began his coaching career as the USSR National Team coach from 1980-1990 before becoming the National Team coach in his native Armenia from 1991-93. He then moved to the United States where he was an assistant with Rose Bowl Aquatics in Pasadena, Calif., from 1993-98 before assuming the head coaching position with the Trojan Dive Club and the assistant coaching job at USC from 1998-2001. Following his stint with the Trojans, Sarkisian became the director and head coach at the USA Diving Regional Training Center from 2001-05. Sarkisian has earned a number of coaching accomplishments within USA and international, most notably serving as the USA National Team Coach for the 2003 and 2005 Pan-Am Games. He has coached at numerous FINA Grand Prix events and Olympic trials and training camps. In 1996, he was Armenia s National Team coach at the Atlanta Olympic Games. In 2008, Sarkisian served as Team USA s head coach at the Grand Prix meet in Moscow, Russia. He also was a selector at the U.S. Olympic Selection Camp for the 2008 Beijing Games and a judge at the 2008 Olympic Trials. A 13-time Armenian national champion, Sarkisian competed internationally for the USSR. He graduated in 1980 with professional level training in sports science and education from the USSR State University of Physical Education in Yerevan, Armenia. SARKISIAN AT-A-GLANCE Alma Mater: USSr State University of Physical education, 80 Coaching Experience: USSr national Team, 1980-90 armenia national Team, 1991-93 rose Bowl aquatics, 1993-98 Assistant Diving Coach armenian olympic Team, 1996 Trojan dive Club, 1998-2001 USC, 1998-2001 Assistant Diving Coach USa regional Training Center, 2001-05 Director and USa national Team, 2003, 2005 Pan-Am Games Head Coach northwestern, 2006-present Head Coach ALIK SARKISIAN, pictured here with junior Tania lyerly, has trained youth, collegiate and international divers during his extensive and successful career as a championship-caliber coach. 48 2008-09 northwestern
2008-09 OUTLOOK Some news, notes and other goodies to keep in mind as the Wildcats prepare for the 2008-09 swimming and season... After graduating three divers following last season, Northwestern s squads are a mix of both veteran experience and youthful talent. On the men s side, senior Alex Kiaie is the lone returner, joined by sophomore transfer Kalister Harmon. For the women, junior Tania Lyerly is the elder joined by freshmen Carlin Dacey and CoryAnn Debronksy. Both squads have the ability to score big points for Northwestern this season. Kiaie is the most experience diver on both the men s and the women s sides. A three-time NCAA Zone qualifyer, Kiaie has scored on all three boards at the Big Ten Championships in each of the last two seasons. Kiaie also proved his worth in dual meets last season, sweeping both boards in a doubledual meet against Wisconsin and No. 4 Michigan on November 16. His score of 342.50 on the 3-meter board against the Badgers and Wolverines was a collegiate best. The performance earned him Big Ten Diver of the Week honors on November 20. Kiaie was a member of a three-person men s team in, but following the graduation of Ryan McIntosh and sophomore Nick Renold s decision to leave the squad, Kiaie became the sole returner. Joining Kiaie on the men s team is transfer Kalister Harmon, who began his collegiate career at LSU in before enrolling at Puget Sound Community College in his native Washington and not competitively in. Harmon begins the season as a sophomore athletically. Harmon had a solid freshman season at LSU, becoming the Tigers highest finisher in the 3-meter at NCAA Zones, posting a mark of 265.40 to place 27th. His highest finish at the SEC Championships was a 15th-place performance in the 1-meter (250.50) event, while he also placed in the top-20 on the 3-meter and platform boards. Harmon is displaying the ability in practice to be a big point scorer for the Cats in 2008-09. Tania Lyerly is the veteran of the women s squad following the graduations of fifthyear senior Leanne Dumais and senior Beth Campbell. Consistently Northwestern s secondhighest scorer on the boards a year ago, Lyerly was an Academic All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore. Lyerly is joined by a pair of highly touted freshmen in Carlin Dacey and CoryAnn Debronsky. Dacey holds several New England Prep records and was an AAU National finalist on the 1- and 3-meter boards. Debronsky is a Gold Team member with the Twin City Divers in her native Minnesota, earning big meet experience at the state meet in high school. TANIA LYERLY (above) and ALEX KIAIE (below) are northwestern s lone returning divers in 2008-09. northwestern s men s squad is just two deep in 2008-09, but it s a veteran pair with plenty of scoring potential. Senior ALEX KIAIE (right) has scored points on all three boards at the last two Big Ten Championships, while transfer KALISTER HARMON (left) was lsu s top diver as a freshman in. northwestern s women s roster is youthful in 2008-09, with freshmen CORYANN DEBRONSKY (left) and CARLIN DACEY (right) joining junior TANIA LYERLY (middle). Both debronsky and dacey enter nu after earning impressive prep credentials. 2008-09 northwestern 49
2008-09 RETURNERS alex KIAIE ALEX KIAIE 5-6 Senior Milwaukee, Wis. nicolet Best finishes at the Big Ten Championships were two 12th-place efforts on the 3-meter springboard and the platform... Took 17th on the 1-meter board at the Big Ten meet to score points for the Cats... Competed on both springboards at the NCAA Zone C meet... Swept both boards in a double-dual meet against Wisconsin and No. 4 Michigan (11/16)... Score of 342.50 on the 3-meter against the Badgers and Wolverines was a collegiate best... Named Big Ten Diver of the Week on 11/20... Had four other top-three finishes in dual-meet events on the year... Took second overall on the platform at the Georgia Invitational (11/30-12/2) while also finishing fourth overall on the 3-meter at the UGA Invite... Score of 280.90 on the platform set his collegiate-best in the event. Finished 11th on the 1-meter board, 16th on the 3-meter board, and 13th on the platform at the Big Ten Championships... Nearly swept the events at the TYR Invitational, winning the 3-meter board and taking home second on the 1-meter board... Set personal bests on both the 1-meter (326.85) and 3-meter (336.55) boards... Earned a pair of top-four finishes at the Dallas Morning News Classic... Scored points for the Cats in six different events. 2005-06 Won the 1-meter board and finished second on the 3-meter board against UW-Milwaukee... Won the 1-meter board at the UIC Diving Invitational... Qualified for the NCAA Zone championships against Wisconsin... Placed 29th on the 1-meter board and 31st on the 3-meter board at the NCAA Zone C competition. Honored twice as an All-America diver... Also earned all-state honors three times... Voted his team s MVP twice during his high school career... Named Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Star of the Week... Captain of the team... Member of two conference and sectional championship teams... Participated in four years of club with the Schroeder Dive Team... Dove on same club team as former NU teammate Michael Oxman... Earned two second-place finishes in the 1 meter at YMCA Nationals as well as two top-four performances in the 3 meter... Graduated from same high school as Garrett Weber-Gale, United States swimmer... Also participated in football and pole vaulting during high school. Born Alexander Carroll Kiaie on 8/8/87... Son of Catherine and Vali Kiaie... Chose Northwestern over Texas, Notre Dame and Wisconsin... Majoring in computing and information systems. KIAIE S CAREER BESTS 1-meter 3-meter Platform 326.85 342.50 280.90 Tania 5-5 Junior libertyville, ill. libertyville LYERLY Consistently Northwestern s second-highest scoring diver... Competed on both the 1- and 3-meter boards at the Big Ten Championships... Best dual-meet finish came in a second-place effort on the 3-meter board against Illinois-Chicago on Oct. 27... Has three other top-three dualmeet finishes, all on the 1-meter board... Scored points for NU with a seventh-place finish on the 1-meter board and a top-8 finish on the 3-meter board at the Georgia Invitational (11/30... Academic All-Big Ten. Earned a 227.30 on the 3-meter board and a 216.70 on the 1-meter at the Big Ten Championships... Earned a season-best third-place finish in three different events... Season-best score on the 3-meter board was a score of 259.50 against Wisconsin which earned her a third-place finish... Improved upon her previous best by over 10 points on the 1-meter board when she finished with a total of 256.40 at the TYR Invitational. 2005 All-American and two-time All-North Suburban Conference... Fifth at sectionals and 14th in the Illinois State Meet... Placed fifth in the conference in both 2004 and 2005... Dove club with Windy City Diving in 2004-05 and with the North Shore Sharks in 2005-06... All-Academic Athlete honoree in 2004-05... National Honor Society member. Born Tania Michelle Lyerly on 8/30/88... Daughter of William Lyerly and Edith Sieg... Holds dual American and German citizenship... Mother was a four-year, three-sport athlete in volleyball, swimming and track at Iowa, earning a swimming All-America honor... Chose NU over Michigan and Wisconsin... Major is communication studies and history. LYERLY S CAREER BESTS 1-meter 3-meter 256.40 259.50 50 2008-09 northwestern
2008-09 NEWCOMERS Carlin DACEY 5-6 Freshman West roxbury, Mass. Choate rosemary Hall kalister HARMON 5-6 Sophomore olympia, Wash. Capital NISCA All-America honoree as a freshman, sophomore and junior... New England Prep School record holder for six dives on the 1-meter board with a score of 271.20... Western New England Prep School record holder for 11 dives in the 1-meter event with a 435.15... Undefeated in dual-meet competition... School team and pool record holder on the 1-meter board for both six and 11 dives... Named Choate outstanding female athlete of 2007... Dove six years of club with Charles River Diving... AAU National finalist on the 1- and 3-meter boards... Multiple East National qualifier on the 1- and 3-meter boards... Also played four years of high school soccer... Dean s list honoree. Born Carlin Taylor Dacey on 3/10/90... Daughter of Dan and Kathy Dacey... Father ran track at Holy Cross... Mother swam at Miami... Sister, Kendall, was a high school All-America swimmer and water polo player who now swims for Amherst College... Chose Northwestern over Dartmouth, Columbia, Duke, Notre Dame and Virginia... Major is undeclared. Corya nn DEBRONSKY 5-1 Freshman Burnsville, Minn. apple Valley Finished third at sectionals and 12th at the Minnesota state meet in 2006... Took second at the 2007 section meet and fourth at the 2007 state meet... All-state award winner... Has more than 10 first-place finishes in meets... Multiple all-conference and team MVP honors... Dove two years of club with Twin City Divers, where she is a Gold Team member... Took first on the 1-meter board at the Twin City Diving fall invitational in 2007... Officer in the National Honor Society... Earned the Lake Conference Academic Interscholastic Award. Harmon began his collegiate career at LSU in before transferring to Puget Sound Community College for the academic year. He enrolled at Northwestern prior to the 2008-09 season with sophomore athletic eligibility. Did not compete while enrolled at Puget Sound Community College. Competed in every dual meet, the SEC Championships and the NCAA Zone B Regional in his first season... LSU s highest finisher in the 3-meter at Zones, posting a mark of 265.40 to place 27th... Tallied a 35th-place score of 229.70 in the 1-meter at the same meet... Highest finish at the SEC Championships was 15th in the 1-meter (250.50)... Placed 19th in the platform (206.40) and 20th in the 3-meter (222.95) at SECs... Earned three top-10 finishes at the Georgia Tech Invitational with his best score being a seventh-place mark of 207.90 in the platform... Earned his first career dual-meet win with an NCAA Zone qualifying score versus Delta State... Took top honors in the 3-meter versus the Statesmen (322.28)... Twice made Dean s List. Dove for two years during high school... All-American... Finished 32nd in the state in his first year of before taking second place overall in 2006... Dove one year of club with Pacific Northwest Diving... Was an International Baccalaureate Diploma graduate... Three-time President s List honoree. Born Kalister William Harmon on 5/4/88... Son of Monty and Lorie Harmon... Father, mother and uncle all competed in collegiate gymnastics... Sister, Kalysta, ran cross country at Northwestern in 2002-03... Majoring in economics. Born CoryAnn Debronsky on 6/28/90... Daughter of Nick and Robin Debronsky... Grandfather was the head of media at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin and Michigan... Plans to major in biology and mathematics. 2008-09 northwestern 51