WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Acadia Athletics and Acadia Swim Team head coach Kris Bell are pleased to announce the addition of three swimmers for the 2022-2023 season, all hailing from the Halifax Trojans Aquatic Club.
Joining the Axewomen in the fall of 2021 are Ella Collins, Emma Hamlyn, and Sophie Rooney.
Bell enthusiastically welcomes all three swimmers to the Axewomen squad.
"I am very excited to welcome Sophie, Ella, and Emma to the team and to Acadia University to continue our pursuit of excellence in academics and athletics," noted Bell.
From Halifax, N.S. and a student at J.L. Ilsley High School, Sophie Rooney is a backstroke and freestyle specialist with the Trojans. This season Rooney is ranked in the Top 10 Junior rankings with Swim Canada in the short course 200m and 100m backstroke, along with the 100m and 50m freestyle.
Since the 2020 Olympic Trials were canceled due to COVID, Rooney has qualified and will be participating in the 2022 Canadian Olympic trials in Victoria, BC in April 2022.
Rooney is a holder of five Nova Scotia provincial relay records, including the 4 X 100m freestyle relay and the 4X100m medley relay. She has been a part of the Nova Scotia NextGen Performance program since 2018.
Rooney plans to attain a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree while at Acadia.
Emma Hamlyn of the Sacred Heart School of Halifax excels at the 50m and 100m butterfly and the 50m and 100m freestyle.
In 2017, Hamlyn set a 50m breaststroke record in her age group and since 2018, she has ranked in Swim Canada's Top 50 power rankings. In 2021, Hamlyn placed second in the Top 50 rankings in the 50m butterfly.
She has been a National Group swimmer and a Nova Scotia provincial team member over her swimming career. Academically, she hopes to attain a Bachelor of Business Administration while at Acadia.
Breaststroke specialist Ella Collins is currently a student at Citadel High School. A Swimming Canada Eastern and Western qualifier in the 50m and 100m breaststroke from 2019 to 2022.
Collins is ranked first in the 50m and 100m breaststroke in Nova Scotia in the 15 and over age group in 2022.
Collins was also a member of the NS Provincial record relay for the 4x100 medley alongside teammate Sophie Rooney.
As a member of the Swim Nova Scotia Next Gen Performance Program since 2020, Collins plans to study Kinesiology at Acadia.
Axewomen swimming team co-captain Sara MacDougall is thrilled to hear about the additions to the team.
"I am beyond excited to see what the team is going to accomplish over the next couple of seasons. The team has a lot of momentum moving into next year and I believe the recruits coming in will add a lot of depth and bring new strengths to the team. I had an amazing four years here and I can't wait for the recruits to experience all that Acadia has to offer," said McDougall