Cadet Haas continues his swimming victories, headed to Hawaii next. Great job Townley! Richmond, VA (August 12, 2014) – USA Swimming has announced that NOVA of Virginia Aquatics’ swimmer Townley Haas and Head Coach Geoff Brown have been selected to represent the United States for the 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui, Hawaii from August 27 – 31. The competition will include qualifiers from Australia, Japan and Canada. Haas, 17, recently completed two weeks of national-level competition, having won four USA Swimming Junior National Championship Titles the first week in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 Meter Freestyle events as well as the meet’s High Point award. The following week, Haas won the 100 and 200 Meter Freestyle 18 & Under titles at the USA Swimming National Championship. Both events were held in Irvine, California. Not since David Walters, Olympian and American Record holder in 100 Meter Freestyle, has Virginia had as dominant a Freestyler in United States swimming. “Townley is showing unprecedented range in his events and is one of the most promising young freestylers in the US right now,” says Coach Geoff Brown. “He just won six national titles – four USA Junior titles and two 18 and under Senior national championships – and added eight Virginia Swimming records to his total; he has become a most special swimmer. We are looking for more success at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships and beyond.” Haas now stands among USA Swimming’s elite. He is a member of the USA Swimming Junior National Team and currently ranks 9th in the US and 42nd in the world in the 800 Meter Freestyle according to FINA, the world governing body for swimming. Haas is the current 15-16 national record holder in the 500 Yard Freestyle, having broken Michael Phelps’ age group record from 2002. He also holds 23 Virginia Swimming individual records, five Virginia Swimming relay records and was the Richmond Times-Dispatch Metro Swimmer of the Year the past two seasons. Haas is among the most promising of a strong wave of up and coming US swimming talent, poised to take the reins from a strong, but aging, cast of Olympic swimming stars, and looking toward the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. NOVA Head Coach Geoff Brown has been coaching for more than 38 years. During this time, he has won Virginia Swimming Coach of the Year nine times, and he has been named National Club Swimming Association Coach of the Year twice. In 2012, he was named USA Swimming’s Developmental Coach of the Year. In 2013, he was named to the coaching roster of the Junior World Games in Dubai, but did not attend. His selection to the 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships caps a successful year for the club, its swimmers and coaches.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 02:11:08 +0000