Monica Waage Johannessen

Class: Senior Hometown: Haugesund, Norway High School: Skeisvang Upper Secondary

Position: Sprint Free, Fly

2009-10 (Freshman): Scored 19 individual points at the Big 12 Championships... Placed ninth in the 100-yard freestyle (50.51), 11th in the 100-yard butterfly (54.95) and 13th in the 50-yard freestyle (23.47)... Won the 50 freestyle at the UNI/USD double dual (24.49) and at Iowa State (24.40)... Won the 50 freestyle (24.09) and the 100 freestyle (52.16) at the UCLA/Fresno State double dual... Took first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.40), 50 freestyle (24.26) and 100 freestyle (51.63) vs. Nebraska... Placed first in the 100 freestyle at the LMU/UCSD double dual (52.65)... Competed in the Junior Norwegian Championships in November... Won 10 medals (three gold medals) in 10 events and earned a spot on the Senior Norwegian National team through her performance at the Junior Championships... Holds two Norwegian Junior relay records... Named First Team Academic All-America by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America... Named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Fall 2009 and Spring 2010.

Upper Secondary School (Skeisvang): Five-time gold medal winner at the Norwegian Championships... Won a gold medal in the 200 free junior in July 2008... Won gold medals in the 100 butterfly junior, 50 butterfly and 50 free in July 2009... Won a bronze medal in the 100 free senior in July 2009, and a silver medal in the 50 butterfly and bronze medal in the 100 free senior in 2010.

Personal: Born in Haugesund, Norway... Parents are Torunn Waage and Leif Kåre Johannessen... Twin sister Cecilie is also a swimmer on the Norwegian National Team... Older brother is a swim coach... Has been swimming for Karmoy Swim Team since she was 10 years old... Majoring in psychology.

Top Times
50 Free: 23.32
100 Free: 49.93
200 Free: 1:49.34
100 Fly: 54.95

Getting to Know Monica:

Favorite KU tradition: Rock Chalk Chant

Best Swimming memory: My first Junior Gold Medal at the Norwegian Championships in the 200 free in 2008, and Norwegian Junior Nationals in Nov. 2009

Favorite sport to play other than swimming: Volleyball

Favorite TV shows: "Big Bang Theory", "Friends" and "House"

Last book you read: Night by Elie Wiesel

Dream vacation: Safari with my sister in Tanzania

Favorite food: My grandmother's homemade cooking

Most beaustiful places you have visited: Paris, Rome, the Grand Canyon and the Norwegian fjords and glaciers