“I’m extremely excited to add two people of this caliber to the coaching staff,” Marchionda said. “I’m looking forward to working with both individuals.”
Atkinson comes to the Hill after competing in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the ’00 games in Sydney for Jamaica, and she was named the 1999-00 National High School Swimmer of the Year. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida in August. Her collegiate awards include earning 10 All-America honors, three Southeastern Conference championships, two first-team all-SEC accolades and three top-three finishes in three years at the NCAA Championships. She was also on the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times and named to the Dean’s List on numerous occasions.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Atkinson was a seven-time recipient of the Jamaican Swimmer-of-the-Year award and a six-time nominee for the Jamaican Sportswoman of the Year.
“The international and national experience that Janelle brings to the program is very valuable,” Marchionda added. “For her to have connections outside of the country is a tremendous help in recruiting.”
Pfau has already been at WKU for a season after working as a volunteer assistant during the 2004-05 campaign. He was responsible for on-deck coaching with all the sprinters and distance groups along with meet preparation duties during home events. Pfau was a head age-group coach at the YMCA in Raleigh, N.C., where he managed the competitive swim program of 180 swimmers from 1999-03. From 1997-99 the Advance, N.C., native was the associate aquatic director and the head satellite coach for the Winston-Salem YMCA.
Pfau earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina in 1994 and a master’s degree from North Carolina State in ’97.
“Even though Alan is not new to the program, it will be great to add him as an assistant,” Marchionda commented. “He did an outstanding job last season and established a great rapport with our athletes.”
Both men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are coming off Sun Belt Conference championships last year, with the women going undefeated in dual meets.
