Mark Seidman

Position:
Individual Medley, Breaststroke, Backstroke
Height:
5-10
Weight:
165
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Career Best Times: 1:51.07, 200 IM, 3:52.99, 400 IM; 1:49.00, 200 Back.

General: Three-time returning letter winner who has added versatility and talent to the team in a multitude of events...swims mainly the IM events and the backstroke...can also swim the butterfly and breaststroke...one of the team's top student-athletes...he boasts a 3.281 cumulative GPA...participated in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400-meter individual medley.

1999-2000: At the 2000 ACC Championships, he finished fifth in the 400 IM, seventh in the 200 back (1:49.00), the fifth-best performance ever for a UNC swimmer, and 13th in the 200 IM (1:51.07)…2000 ACC Academic Honor Roll…captured Dean’s List honors in the fall semester of 1999.

1998-99: Had the best time on the team last year in the 400-yard individual medley at 3:52.99, the time now ranks as the fourth fastest clocking ever for a Tar Heel...won the 1998 Nike Cup championship in the 400-yard individual medley and the 200-yard backstroke...at the 1999 ACC Championships, he finished ninth in the 200-yard backstroke and 10th in the 400-yard individual medley...named to 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll...selected for Dean's List in spring semester of 1999....finished 23rd this past summer at U.S.S. Nationals in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:32.13...was ranked #1 in the country in the 400 IM for two weeks in November of 1998.

1997-98: A consistent performer for the Tar Heels as a freshman... scored 25 points at the ACC Championships...finished 15th in the 200-yard individual medley (1:53.18), third in the 400-yard individual medley (3:56.69) and 10th in the 200-yard backstroke (1:50.39)...recorded a personal best time in the 400-yard IM...helped lead the Tar Heels to their sixth straight ACC championship.

Prep: Graduated on June 8, 1997 from the Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio...four-year letter winner in swimming there...co-captain of the team in 1996-97...specialized in 200 IM and 100 back in high school competition...was a high school All-America in 1995, 1996 and 1997...a five-time Northeast Ohio district champion...set district high school records in the 200 IM and 100 back in 1997...was the Ohio high school runner-up in the 200 IM in 1997...swam the backstroke leg on Hawken’s medley relay team which placed fifth in 1:34.70 in the 1996 "National High School Mythical" standings...achieved honors status all four years at Hawken School in the classroom...a tremendous artist as well...one of his sculptures was awarded special mention at the Ohio Governor’s Art Show in 1996...pursued independent study in drawing and painting as a senior...senior national qualifier in 400 IM both long course (4:30.04) and short course (3:57.17) while representing the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins...seven-time junior national finalist...twice named Lake Erie Silver Dolphins' Swimmer of the Year (1996 and 1997)...multiple LESD record holder in age group and senior divisions...was the 1996 Junior National champion in the 400 IM.

Personal: Given name is Mark David Seidman...nicknames include "Pfeiffer" and "Mark the Shark"...son of Cary and Karen Seidman...his father was the 100 and 200 backstroke record holder and swim team co-captain in the late 1960s at Oberlin...has one sister, Emily, 17...was born July 23, 1979 in Cleveland, Ohio...hobbies include playing basketball, baseball, ping pong and tennis and cheering for the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians...athletes he most admires are Hungarian Olympic swimming champion Tamas Darnyi (200 and 400 IM), Cleveland Indians’ first baseman Jim Thome, Jonah Turner and Michael Jordan...biggest sports thrills have been finishing third in the 400 IM at ACC's in 1998 and winning the ACC team title in 1998...since the age of nine, he has had a pet rattlesnake named Betsy, a Great Plains Northern Rat Snake...is famous for eating Grape Nuts for breakfast every morning...history and political science double major...wants to be a major league baseball player.