Hurricanes in the Olympics
Aug. 4, 2008
Coral Gables, FLA (www.hurricanesports.com) — – Six current and former Hurricanes student-athletes and coach will participate in the 2008 Olympics.
Randy Ableman, Current UM Head Diving Coach, Diving Coach for South AfricaUM Head Diving Coach
Randy Ableman has been selected to coach the South African diving team at the 2008 Beijing Games. For Ableman, it will be his fourth Olympic appearance as a coach after having served on the U.S. coaching staff in 1996, 2000 and 2004. Ableman, a nine-time NCAA Diving Coach of the Year and coach of 12 NCAA Champions during his 19-year tenure at UM, will coach UM senior Jenna Dreyer on the South African squad.
Jenna Dreyer, Senior, Diver for South Africa, will participate in the 3-meter springboard
UM senior diver Jenna Dreyer did not compete last year due to injury. She competed in 2004 Athens Games in the 3-meter springboard as a high school senior, reaching the semifinals of the event. Dreyer, the 2005 ACC Women’s Diver of the Year and two-time All-American, will once again represent South Africa in the three-meter springboard at the 2008 Olympics, this time under the direction of UM head diving coach Randy Ableman.
Reuben Ross, Sophomore, Diver for Canada, will participate in the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform
UM sophomore diver Rueben Ross will be competing in his first Olympics this year. Ross, the 2008 ACC Men’s Diver of the Year and 2008 NCAA Champion in the men’s three-meter springboard, will represent Canada in both the 10-meter platform and three-meter springboard in Beijing.
Manon van Rooijen, 2001-02 to 2003-04, Swimmer for the Netherlands, will participate in the 4×100 meter and 4×200 meter relay events
Former UM swimmer Manon van Rooijen returns to the Olympics this year after winning a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney – the first Olympic medal for a Miami swimmer in program history. van Rooijen, whose silver medal came in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay event, will again compete for the Netherlands in the 4×100 freestyle relay in addition to the 4×200 freestyle relay at this year’s Games.
Lauryn Williams, 2002-2004, Track Performer for the United States, will participate in the 100 meters, 4×100 meter relay and is an alternate in the 200 meters
Lauryn Williams will be making her second appearance on the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2008 Beijing Games. She is slated to appear in the 100-meter dash and the 4×100-meter relay. Williams is also listed as an alternate for the 200-meter dash. In the Athens Games in 2004, Williams won the silver medal in the 100-meters. Earlier that year, she won the NCAA National Championship in as a member of the Hurricanes. In her time in a UM uniform (2002-04) she earned a total of nine All-American honors. In 2005, Williams sprinted to Gold in the 100-meters and as a member of the 4×100-relay at the World Championships.
Ginou Etienne, 2003-2007, Track Performer for Haiti, will participate in the 400 meters
Ginou Etienne will also compete in Beijing as a member of the Haitian National Team for the first time. She will be competing in the 400-meters, an event where she earned two All-American Honors (2005, 2007) while at the University of Miami. In all, Etienne was named an All-American on six occasions, four as a member of the Hurricane 4×400-relay team (2004-06). In last year’s World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Etienne placed sixth in the 400-meters. Her career-best time stands at 51.94 seconds.
