Tanya Nielsen Class: Freshman Hometown: Irvine, Calif. High School: Irvine Event: Sprint

On Nielsen: Sprinter from California who will add great depth to the sprint events.

Before Maryland: Lettered in swimming for four years at Irvine High School ... also played water polo as a freshman ... holds the National Public School record in the 400-free relay ... four-time member of the California state champion team ... part of the CIF Division 1 championship team in 2001, 2002 and 2003 ... swim team captain as a senior ... National Interscholastic Athlete in 2003 ... finished fourth in the 50-free and sixth in the 100-free in the CIF in 2003 ... part of the 2001 and 2002 National Public High School championship team ... member of the Senior National Team (2003), the Western Zone Team (2002-03) and the Sectional Team (2001-04) ... Irvine High School Female and All-Around Scholar Athlete of the Year ... 2004 U.S. Army National Scholar Athlete.

Personal: Tanya Nielsen is the daughter of Linda and Jack Nielsen ... has three sisters, Katherine, Jennifer and Christina, who are 14-year-old triplets ... father swam for the U.S. Naval Academy in 1969 and was on the sailing team from 1969-72 ... her aunt, Nina Nielsen, was on the sailing team for four years at Princeton ... her grandfather, Svend Nielsen, swam on the Danish National Team for two years ... enjoys music, fashion and reading ... lists Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg as her favorite athlete because of his determination, dedication and integrity ... lists winning the CIF Championships in 2004 as her biggest athletic thrill because the state title came down to the last relay, but her team came together and succeeded ... chose Maryland for its academic and athletic excellence ... also recruited by Columbia, Princeton, UC-Irvine, Southern Illinois, NYU and San Diego ... majoring in biology.

Career Bests
50 Free:    23.71
100 Free:	52.02
200 Free:	1:54.60
100 Back:	1:00.52