Rebecca Sturdy Takes Helm at Adams State College

Former 8-time NCAA Division I All-American and 9-time
Big 12 Conference Champion Rebecca Sturdy has been named as Adams State
College's first ever women's swimming coach, according to ASC Athletic
Director Larry Mortensen who made the announcement Friday.

Sturdy, who helped the Texas A&M University Aggies to their first team
conference title as a senior in 2007, will also serve as the Grizzlies'
assistant sports information director assisting in media relations and
publicity efforts for all 14 of the Grizzlies' existing athletic programs
and the five new ones to be added during the 2009-10 and
2010-11 academic years.

Women's swimming is one of the five new programs and has been added to the
Grizzly athletic department along with men's soccer and men's golf for the
upcoming 2009-10 academic year.  Men's swimming and women's lacrosse are
being added for 2010-11.

"We are pleased to have hired such a talented and passionate individual,"
Mortensen said.

"Rebecca is dedicated to building our new women's swimming program.  The
community will be amazed what she will be able to do to improve the
aquatic programs in the valley. To have a multiple-time all-American
running our programs is an exciting first. We hope to keep her here for a
long time," he added.

Sturdy, who has been serving as an athletic media relations assistant at
the University of North Carolina-Pembroke for the past year, has plenty of
experience in both the swimming and sports information realms.  The
Anacortes, Wash. native is also familiar with Colorado as she worked as an
intern in media and public relations for the United States Olympic
Committee in Colorado Springs while completing her bachelor's degree in
sports management from Texas A&M in 2008.

Sturdy set numerous school records for the Aggies during her 4-year
swimming career and then served as a student assistant coach for the
2007-08 season, helping guide them to a program-record fourth place
finish at the NCAA Division I Championships.  Sturdy also got her start
in athletic media relations in the Aggies' office assisting with women's
swimming and equestrian.

"I am very excited to be joining the Adams State staff and am grateful
for the opportunity I have been given. I am looking forward to the
challenges associated with starting a new team and can't wait to see
where the journey will take the program," Sturdy said.

While working at UNCP, Sturdy was directly responsible for publicity
efforts for the Braves' women's soccer, women's basketball, track &
field and cheerleading programs.  Her women's soccer media guide placed
second in the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America)
Publications Contest.

"I am excited to have Rebecca joining our athletic department staff,"
said ASC Associate Athletic Director & Sports Information Director Chris
Day.  "She has a great passion for both sports information and the
development of our new swimming program and will be a tremendous asset for
years to come."

After chronic shoulder injuries hampered some of her swimming progress
during the middle years of her collegiate career, Sturdy completed her
comeback by winning four 2007 Big 12 titles and setting Texas A&M records
in the 400-yard medley relay, the 200 freestyle relay, the 400 freestyle
relay and the 100 butterfly (53.10).

Sturdy swam the butterfly leg on the 400 medley relay en-route to the
title- a first in the College Station institution's history in that event
- and an all-time Big 12 Conference record.  She also anchored the
400 free relay, which gave the Aggies a one-point victory over the Texas
Longhorns for the conference team title- another program first.

Also placing second in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 back at the Big
12 Championships, Sturdy went on to garner All-America honors in the 200
free and 400 medley relays helping the Aggies to a eighth place finish at
the NCAA Division I Championships, also their best finish in program
history at the time.

Earlier in her career, Sturdy was named as the Big 12's Newcomer of the
Year as a freshman in 2004 earning All-America honors in the 100
backstroke and four relays.  She also competed in the 100 and 200-meter
backstroke events at her second U.S. Olympic Trials later that season.

Sturdy also shined academically earning First Team Academic All-Big 12
and Texas A&M/Verizon Athletic Scholar Awards during her time as an
Aggie.

While swimming for coach Leslie Mix and Anacortes High School, where she
graduated from in 2003, Sturdy had nine top five finishes at the state
championships, including four state titles.  Her senior year, she set a
state record of 320 points for the highest total on the NISCA Power Points
system at the 3A State Championships.

She was also a USA Swimming Academic All-American and swam a summer for
the Mt. Hood Swim Club coached by Bud Taylor after competing for the
Thunderbird Aquatic Club and Mike Bemis for eight years.  Sturdy, who
started swimming at the age of 7, was also coached by her father Gary for
four of those years.

He and Sturdy's mother Karen still reside in Anacortes.  Sturdy's sister
Kate is an engineering major at the University of Idaho