Elizabeth Armstrong
Height: 6-1
Birthdate: Jan. 31, 1983
Birthplace: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Residence: Long Beach, Calif.
Education: University of Michigan (2005)
Club: Great Lakes Water Polo
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
INTERNATIONAL/CLUB: Denied 30 shots in three and a half games at 2007 Holiday Cup in Long Beach, Calif....Recorded 38 saves in gold medal run at 2007 Pan American Games...Tallied 13 saves in limited action (illness) at Super Final 2007...Named outstanding goalkeeper at 2007 FINA World Championships...March 2007 runner-up for USOC Female Athlete of the Month...Selected to Senior National Team after attending open tryouts in May 2006...First Senior National Team appearance at 2006 FINA World League...Starting goalkeeper on Junior National Team (2000-01)...Rookie of the Year (1998).
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS
2008 Olympic Games, Beijing, China, 2nd place
2007 Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1st Place
2007 FINA World League Super Final, Montreal, Canada, 1st Place
2007 FINA World Championships, Melbourne, Australia, 1st Place
2006 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, Calif., 1st Place
2006 FINA World Cup, Tianjin, China, 4th Place
2006 FINA World League, Cosenza, Italy, 1st Place
2000 Junior Pan American Games, Barquisimeto, Venezuela, 1st Place
COLLEGE: 2005 Academic All-Big Ten Conference...Two-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement award recipient (2002, 2005)...2004 Cutino Award Finalist...2004 AWPCA second-team All-American...2005 AWPCA third team All-American...Two-time AWPCA All-American honorable mention (2002-03)...2003-04 CWPA Division MVP...Four-time CWPA All-Division First Team (2002-05)...Two-time Eastern Championship MVP (2002, 2005)...Three-time All-Eastern Championship first team (2002, 2004-05)...Six-time CWPA Player of the Week...U-M's career leader in blocks (1,267), minutes (3,329), goals against average (5.64) and save percentage (.654)...Michigan record holder with 350 saves in 2004...Michigan record holder with 24 saves vs. Indiana (March 6, 2004)...Michigan record holder with 20 games with 10 or more saves in 2004...Has 68 career games with 10 or more saves, including two with over 20.
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Huron High School (2001)...Three-year letter winner...MWPA Player of the Year (2000)...MWPA MVP (2000)...Two-time all-state first team (2000-01)...Eastern Region MVP (2000)...Eastern Region first team (2000).
PERSONAL:
Earned degree in classical literature...Enjoys reading, going to concerts, and watching movies...New hobbies include learning to knit...Older sister also played water polo...Happiest moment in sport was winning a World Championship in 2007...Has played water polo since 1997...Currently writes a blog for the New York Times which can be found at http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/...Believes in preserving the earth and supporting literacy...Loves water polo because it is fast paced and always challenging...Got into water polo because of her sister and keeps playing because its always a challenge.
- Favorite Food: Sushi
- Favorite Movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Favorite Actor(s): Jude Law, Casey Affleck, Ryan Gosling
- Favorite Actress(es): Cate Blanchette, Kate Winslet
- Favorite Song: "True Light" by Mason Jennings
- Personal Theme Song: "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West
- Favorite Musicians: Mason Jennings, Beautfiul Girls, Kanye West
- Favorite Color: Green
- Facebook or MySpace: Both
- Best Present Ever Received: Rock climbing lessons
- Best Halloween Costume: Margot Tennenbaum
- Magical Power if available: To fly
- Sport to play other than water polo: Running, swimming, and cycling = triathlons
- Words to Live By: "Those who stay will be champions." - Bo Schembechler