Where Are They Now Wednesday--Ashley Gardner

Name: Ashley Gardner

Years at LHU: 2007-2011

Degree(s) Earned: Bachelors of the Arts in History, Aquatics Minor

Years You Swam: Fall of 2007-Spring of 2011

Best Events: 100 Back, 200 Back

Most Memorable Swimming Memory: Sophomore year training trip was by far the best swimming memory…”Is that Tommy the White Power Ranger!?” and various other quotes come to mind, as well as the Lucky Suit practice! I also really enjoyed being apart of the 2010 NCAA National meet as a volunteer!

Awards Received at School: The Golden Kickboard

Occupation/Title: Head Coach and Aquatics Director

Company: Waynesboro Area YMCA

Anything Else You’d Like To Share With Haven Nation: I’m really excited that one of my Waynesboro swimmers will become a Lady Eagle this fall! I’m really thankful that I swam on the LHU swim team because of the people that are now in my life. Thanks for the wonderful memories! Annnnnd I just had my swimmers do a “Swim Til You Die this week…Thanks Andy

Where Are They Now Wednesday--Shannon Samanka

Name: Shannon Samanka

Years at LHU:  2005-2009

Degree(s) Earned:  Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Administration with a Minor in Coaching

Years You Swam: 2005-2009

Best Events:  500 Free & 200 IM.  (I swam a lot of the other crazy events, like the 1000 Free and the 1650.  I swam the 400 IM twice and I may have threatened to quit if I ever had to swim it again.)
Most Memorable Swimming Memory:  I have a lot.  I think all 4 years of swimming is my most memorable.  (I have a pretty bad memory when it comes to these types of things)
Awards Received at School:   I did get a pretty sweet award that was voted in my favor by my swimmer peers.  I got the 1st Cocoa Beach Award.  I busted my butt my Freshman Year and it was noticed…so that was pretty cool and a pretty humbling experience to receive that award!

Maiden Name:  My Maiden Name will be Samanka…when and if I get married!

Occupation:  I work in the Sporting Industry…so I’m pretty lucky to be working in the field that I studied for all those years ago.

Company:  I work for the MiLB team, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.  Yes, I live in Myrtle Beach, be jealous!  I have a pretty nice tan right now (and most of the year)!

Title:  Box Office Manager (Queen of the Box Office)

Spouses Name:  I don’t have a Spouse.  But, I do have an awesome boyfriend…his name is Blake Barbee.  And if we get married, my last name is going to be Barbee, like the doll.  Another thing to be jealous about, I know!

Children:  I have 3.  PJ, Fee, and Gus!  (They are my animals!)

Anything Else You’d Like To Share With Haven Nation:  I met some of the best friends I have in my life currently from being a part of the LHU Swim Team.  I got my butt kicked with practices and it gave me the discipline I currently display in my day to day life.  Being a college athlete is probably the best thing I could have done with my life and I owe a lot of how I live my life now to being an athlete.  I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!  Although, since my last race in 2009, I haven’t done much swimming.  I’ll eventually get back in the water…sometimes it’s hard to just swim without someone telling you what to swim and in what order.  I’m not very good at coaching myself in that aspect.  I may have Coach Joel send me an easy workout when I get back in the water

Where Are They Now Wednesday Questionnaire

We would like to highlight you on our blog throughout the summertime! We will do a feature of “Where are they now Wednesday” for our loyal readers every Wednesday. Please fill out the answers below and email them to jnb5025@lhup.edu. You can fill in the blanks or write it out paragraph style, its all up to you! If you could also attach a picture of yourself as a swimmer and a more current one (families can be included,) that would also be very helpful. We have some AMAZING alumni that have gone off to do great things. LHU Swimming is always home, and we’d like to get to know you!

Name: 

Years at LHU: 

Degree(s) Earned: 

Years You Swam: 

Best Events: 

Most Memorable Swimming Memory:

Awards Received at School: 

Maiden Name: 

Occupation: 

Company: 

Title: 

Spouses Name: 

Children: 

Anything Else You’d Like To Share With Haven Nation:

Where Are They Now Wednesday--Coach Tom Justice

Coach Tom Justice

As I write this, I look back at the team pictures from when I coached. I learned SO MUCH from my swimmers. I took the job of coaching swimming in 1991, because the swimmers needed a coach . . . and no one else was willing to take the position. I later learned that they were going to drop the program altogether if they couldn't find a coach.

I remember asking the swimmers what they expected of me, were I to take the job. The one thing that came out loud and clear was, "We want to train in Florida!"

So, by God, the next winter I took them down to Florida, and we trained at the Hall of Fame pool in Ft. Lauderdale. I can never forget those days. [By the way, those two-a-days back at the Haven were really three-a-days for the old coach, because I also had volleyball practice. It was very difficult for my family, because I hardly saw them. I was under a lot of strain.]

I retired at age 67. I still live in Lock Haven. All my children live in the East. I spend my time writing a book on coaching and doing a lot of research for that. For my retirement trip, I went to Turkey, Greece and Crete. Last February I was in Ukraine, during all the protests where many people died. [My daughter-in-law is doing research over there.]

I still work-out. OF COURSE! But I can no longer run due to an artificial hip replacement.

Looking back, I wish I could have done more for my swimmers. BUT I am happy that these brave souls, along with me saved, the swimming program.

I have enclosed a picture from last summer's climb up Long's Peak in Colorado.

-Coach Justice

Coach Justice's official GOLHU.com bio can be viewed HERE.

Where Are They Now Wednesday~Amanda (Palmer) Fenn

Name: Amanda Fenn

Years at LHU: 2006-2010

Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management with a concentration in Therapeutic and a Minor in Psychology

Years You Swam: 2006-2010

Best Events:200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Fly

Most Memorable Swimming Memory: Getting my personal best time in the 400 IM after 4 years of coming close, breaking the school record and making it back to swim at night at PSACs.

Awards Received at School: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete Award. Outstanding Sophomore, Junior, and Senior in Therapeutic Recreation Award. 400 IM and 800 Free Relay Team Record Holder. Top 5 in the 200 IM.

Maiden Name: Palmer

Occupation: Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

Company: Kindred Healthcare, Northeast Stoughton, MA Neurorehabilitation Unit

Title: Recreation Therapist

Spouses Name: Matt Fenn

Anything Else You’d Like To Share With Haven Nation: I love that everything you learn from swimming (dedication, hard work, time management) are functional skills you use in the real world. I love that when I complete a hard workout, either a long run or boot camp, I have vivid memories of certain LHU practices. I love stalking meet results and seeing how everyone does. Once a Haven Swimmer, always a Haven Swimmer!!

Final Day of Camp!

Final day of camp saw a bit of a late breakfast and a 2 hour session covering all four strokes. This is a great bunch of kids and I am looking forward to hearing how they do this summer and beyond. Thank you all for being a great part of our first camp, we're looking forward to keeping it going!

Special thanks goes out to our staff that helped us throughout the week, Kasey Blesh, Rachel Vagnoni, Nicole Faulstick, Britt Rehrig, Jenna Brooks, Meghan Kuhn, LHU Camp Director Chaelim Choplosky and his entire staff.  

HAVEN PROUD!