Alumni Page

Former athletes, coaches and volunteers.....where are you now??.........what are you doing today?? Email and let us know.

Matthew LaPrino, a 2004 graduate and senior co-captain of the Southern CT State University Men’s Swimming Team, has recently been named Director of Aquatics and Head swimming Coach of the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club. GBGC will open a brand new aquatic center in the spring.

Kirsten Hoffman, former CT Swimmer, member of Central Connecticut Aquatics (CCA) and later a member of Waves Central Aquatics (WCA), is now Kirsten E.H. Fullerton after marrying Andrew Fullerton on November 22, 2003. Still involved in aquatics, coaching the Hamden Heronettes Synchronized Swim Team in Hamden, CT, Kirsten attends graduate school at the University of
Connecticut in both Survey Research and Sociology and is anticipating two master's degrees in May. If you are interested in contacting Kirsten, you can reach her at precioussten@yahoo.com

This is Erin Condon. I was a Connecticut swimmer for ten years, the final four spent with the Wilton Y Wahoos. I graduated from Princeton University in 2001. Currently I am getting my Master's degree in wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida. My thesis work is on box turtles in southern Georgia. I like the South, but I miss CT Swimming! epcondon@ufl.edu

Hello CT Swimming, It's Kelley Westerman- now Kelley Edwards- I swam for OAK and CRAC (who remembers CRAC? Captial Region Aquatic Club- coached by John Levine) for many years... age 6 through college! I also coached for a brief time with John Pier (also CSI alum)...for the team CCA. I miss CT Swimming! Now I am married and living in Guilford, CT. I work as a Marriage and Family Therapist for the town of Wethersfield. I have found many good swimmers in Wethersfield! I am expecting a baby in October of this year, so things are very busy but exciting! This is a great site and its fun to look back at old records and also all of the new names and teams.
Take care everyone!
Kelley ksw908@aol.com

Many of you remember Herb Aas. Herb was a CSI coach for many years and actively involved as a volunteer for Connecticut Swimming. In 1985 he was the recipient of the Phillips 66 Service Award presented by Connecticut Swimming and USA Swimming (formerly US Swimming) for his outstanding volunteer service. Herb now resides at the Rocky Hill Veteran's Home & Hospital, Unit 2B, 287 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT. 06067. A card or a visit would be much appreciated! Update: Herb Aas passed away last year.

Cindy Hughes and Dan Mascolo were married July 8, 2001. Dan is Head Coach of the Holyoke Y Vikings (HYV) in Massachusetts and Cindy is doing research work for AstraZeneca near Boston MA.

Vaughn Cooper On October 9, 2001 Vaughn competed in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Vaughn finished 129th out of 1470.

Heather Daly Donofrio Former CSI swimmer, Heather Daly Donofrio, won her first LPGA tournament; the First Union Betsy King Tournament held in Kutztown, PA, August 23-26, 2001. Heather has been on tour four years, and this year was the first year she toured full-time. Heather swam many years, age five into college, with CSI and her mother, Margaret, is a former General Chair of CSI and currently coordinates the USAS Banquet and Hospitality for USA Swimming. Heather resides in Fairfield.

Hilary Donofrio announces her engagement to Eric Lawton III. They are planning a June wedding.

Vaughn Cooper (http://www.msu.edu/~cooperva/) On July 29, 2001 Vaughn competed in the Iron Man USA in New York. Vaughn finished 29th out of 1809 competitors in 9:47. He was the 11th amateur and the first in his age group. He again qualified for the World Championships in Hawaii.

Maria Doelger (Maria still holds the resident record in the 17/18 100Y free! She set the record in 1981.) Maria left the Wilton Y Wahoos and Connecticut in 1981 for Stanford University where her swimming career was cut short by a set of serious shoulder injuries which required multiple surgeries. She received a bachelor's degree in Economics and a master's degree in History from Stanford and worked in upper administration at the University until 1997. She has since moved to Long Island, picked up another master's degree in Management and is working on a Ph.D. Despite her status as a perpetual student, she is working full time at Stony Brook University as Assistant Provost for Administration in the Chief Academic Office of the University.

In 1999 Maria and her sore shoulders returned to swimming after a 15-year layoff. She was ranked in the Top Ten nationally in the US Masters Swimming in the 50 free in 1999, and 2000 saw her ranked in the Top Ten in the US Masters Swimming in the 50, 100 and 200 free, and 50 & 100 fly in both short- and long-course seasons. She is also a member of the 4 x 100 women's freestyle relay team that holds the US Masters national record in the 19+ age category. Maria currently coaches a master's team and is an age-group coach with North Shore Swimming.

Maria lives in Setauket, NY with her husband, Dale Drueckhammer, children, Rebecca & James, 2 dogs and 2 goats. Contact Maria at mdhammer@hotmail.com

Vaughn Cooper (http://www.msu.edu/~cooperva/) received his PhD in evolutionary biology from Michigan State University in May of 2000. While at Michigan State he was head coach for the women's water polo team which placed third in the Big 10 and 2nd in the national club championships. He will join the Michigan Society of Fellows at the University of Michigan and work as a post-doctoral student/assistant professor for 2-3 years starting this fall. He is also an ardent triathlete having finished first in is age group at the Lake Placid Iron Man Triathlon last summer, qualifying for the Hawaii world championships. After recovering from knee surgery after being hit by a car while training last October, he completed his first triathlon of the year in Muskoka, Ontario,(http://www.sportstats.on.ca/res2000/musktri.htm) finishing only 5 minutes off last year's time.

Vaughn completed the Ironman USA in Lake Placid last July 30th and managed to come in only 10 minutes slower than last year (9:50 instead of 9:40-- that's HOURS) after recovering from knee surgery and only training since April. He finished 34th out of 1500, was the 14th amateur to finish and finished 5th in his 25-29 age group, thus earning a spot at the Ironman Hawaii world championships on October 14th. Here are his times:              Swim          Bike           Run                    Total (including transitions)
                      2.2 miles     112 miles    26.2 miles
                      00:50:20      05:18:21    03:36:20            09:50:27

October 2000- Vaughn: 30,000 athletes competed worldwide in 19 races to qualify for the 1500 slots in the Hawaii Ironman. Vaughn finished 196 out of 1500 in what was described as the worst race conditions ever: high winds on the bike course and high temperatures as well. His time was 10:10 and he feels he can go faster next year now that he has experienced the course. His surgeon and family came to watch as well. He is delighted to have competed and we are amazed that he could do it. (While training on his bike, Vaughn was hit by a car and suffered a serious knee injury. He has only been training since April 2000.) Click Here for pictures.

Nicole Cooper (ncooper@qedcom.com) graduated from Princeton University in 1997. She was recently promoted to the Manager of Editorial Projects and is also a medical writer for QED, a pharmaceutical marketing firm that is a division of Quintiles Transnational. (http://www.corporate.quintiles.com/index.html) She continues to swim for exercise and will be competing in a charity distance swim in July.