Aleksa Akerfelds Class: Junior Hometown: Bronxville, N.Y. High School: Bronxville Height: 5-9 Event: Distance Free Club: Empire Swimming (Coach IIan Noach)

2007-08: Named the 2008 Southeastern Conference Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year and second-team All-SEC, while also earning two All-America certificates in her rookie campaign...Picked up two bronze medals at the SEC Championship in the 500y free and 400y IM...Was second in the 1650y free...Achieved personal-best times and set school records in the 500y free (4:42.91), 1650y free (16:00.11) and 400y IM (4:13.12) at the conference meet...Her 1000y split (9:41.05) in the 1650y free was also a school record...Competed in the 500y free, 400y IM, 800y free relay and 1650y free at the NCAA Championships...Earned All-America honors as a member of the 800y free relay (11th) and 1650 free (9th)... Earned 11 first-place finishes in eight regular-season meets...Was the CSCAA National Swimmer of the Week after winning a team-high three races, including NCAA cuts in the 500y and 1650y free, versus Northwestern on Jan. 5...Dubbed SEC Freshman of the Week for her two-win performance versus Indiana on Jan. 18.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL: At the 2008 Olympic Trials, finished 16th in the 800m free in 8:43.65 and placed 30th in the 400m free in 4:16.11.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Bronxville High School, where she was a five-time All-American, three times in the 200y IM and twice in the 500y freestyle...Is the section record-holder in the 200y IM, a feat she accomplished in 2004 and again in 2006...Was named the Review Press' High School Athlete of the Season in fall 2005...Named to the state Section I and Lower Hudson All-League teams each of her four years in high school...Won the 500y free and was third in the 200y IM at state competition in 2005...Helped lead Bronxville H.S. to titles in the state high school Section I Championships from 2002-04...Was also the team MVP each year from 2003-06...Highlighting many awards Akerfelds won as a member of the White Plains Middies is the High Point Award she earned at the National Club Swimming Association's Junior National Championships in 2004...Attended the national selection camp at the Olympic Training Center in 2005.

PERSONAL: Pursuing a degree in advertising...Has one sister, Dana, 21...Names her club coach, Ilan Noach of Empire Swimming (formerly White Plains Middies) as her biggest sports influence...Her biggest thrill in swimming is seeing a sea of orange on the sidelines for an entire 16-minute mile...Aleksa Marie Akerfelds was born on Aug. 3, 1989, in New York, N.Y., to Andis and Mary Gleason.