Meet The Falcons
Elizabeth Keenan
Rachel Kennedy
Jr. • 5-5 • Medley/Freestyle Phoenix, AZ (Xavier)
Jr. • 5-2 • Diving Wasilla, AK (Wasilla)
2011-12 Highlights: Swam career-bests in the 200 free, 500 free and 200 fly ... swam fourthPersonal Bests fastest 200 free and fifth-fastest 200 fly on the 200 Free 1:55.03 team. 500 Free 5:07.70 2010-11 Highlights: Ranked fourth on the 100 Fly 59.52 team in the 200 and 500 free, 200 breast and 200 Fly 2:08.51 200 fly events ... also ranked sixth on the team in the 100 fly. HIGH SCHOOL (Xavier): Lettered four years in swimming ... led Xavier to four state titles ... all-state and all-region ... All-American relay qualifier ... earned team’s outstanding freshman, junior and senior awards in addition to team sportsmanship award ... National Honor Society and National Spanish Honors Society member ... high school swimming coach was current Air Force assistant coach Colleen Murphy ... also swam for the Phoenix Swim Club, coached by Dave Gibson. PERSONAL: Member of cadet squadron 21 ... nickname is Liz ... has two siblings ... hobbies are listening to music, shopping and spending time with friends and family ... favorite food is pancakes ... favorite movie is The Great Gatsby ... credits her grandfather as having the biggest influence on her sports career ... something most people don’t know about her is that she lived overseas for four years ... favorite quote: “I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.” -Walt Disney ... daughter of Vince and Carol Keenan. Getting to Know Elizabeth...
2011-12 Highlights: Set career-highs for points in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives Personal Bests ... scored 221.41 points in the 1-meter against 1m 221.41 Colorado State ... scored 206.41 points in the 3m 206.41 3-meter against Northern Colorado ... Academic All-MW and MW Scholar Athlete for the secondstraight year. 2010-11 Highlights: Second on the team in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events ... scored 187.95 points in the 1m vs. Northern Colorado ... scored 198.98 points in the 3m vs. BYU ... Academic All-MW and MW Scholar Athlete. HIGH SCHOOL (Wasilla): Lettered three years in diving, four years in soccer and one year each in track and cross country ... team captain for two years in diving and three for soccer ... three time diving region champion and finished second at state ... all-state soccer tournament member as a junior ... state qualifier in track and cross-country ... state champion in gymnastics as a freshman ... National Honors Society member ... class valedictorian ... high school diving coach was Larry Smith. PERSONAL: Member of cadet squadron 12 ... nickname is Red ... has two siblings ... brother, David, attends the Naval Academy ... majoring in biology ... on the superintendent’s list ... hobbies are mountain climbing, snowboarding, dance, musical theatre, planting flowers, smiling, laughing, and baking cookies ... favorite food is Eggo waffles ... favorite movie is Gladiator ... person in history she’d like to meet is Helen Keller because she faced so much adversity as a young child and never gave up to improve herself in all aspects of her life ... daughter of Dan and Janet Kennedy.
• Pre-race/meet rituals: coffee and a bagel for breakfast.
Getting to Know Rachel...
• Favorite athlete and why: Jenny Thompson. I remember looking up to her as a swimmer when I was young. I even had the opportunity to meet her at a swim meet. She is a very genuine and hardworking person and her accomplishments both in and out of the pool are amazing.
• I enjoy listening to: Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Ke$sha
• If you could be on any reality TV show, what would it be? The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
• Something not many people know about you: I do not like and will not eat vegetables. If it is a vegetable that I do like, then I consider it a fruit.
2012-13 Air Force
• Favorite athlete and why: 2008 Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson- She took the sport of gymnastics to a whole new level of perfection.
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Women’s Swimming & Diving