Bio
2008-09: Finished fifth in the 100-yard backstroke and sixth in the 100-yard butterfly at the America East Championships… Part of the silver medal-winning 200 and 400-yard medley relay teams at the conference meet… Placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 fly and seventh in the 100 free at the Patriot Invitational… Swam career-best times in the 50 free (21.26), 100 back (51.20) and 100 fly (49.67) at the America East Championships… The 100 fly and 100 back times are sixth and seventh on UMBC’s all-time Top 10 list, respectively… Named to the America East All-Academic Team… Recognized on the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
2007-08: Was part of the gold-medal winning 400-yard freestyle relay (3:04.78) which set a new Universityof Maine Wallace Pool record, finished fourth in the 50-yard freestyle, seventh in the 100 butterfly, ninth in the 100 free and was part of the silver medal 200 free and 200 medley relays at the America East Championships… Finished fifth in the 50 free, seventh in the 100 fly, ninth in the 100 free, 19th in the 100 backstroke and was part of the winning 200 free, second place 400 free and fourth place 200 medley relays at the Patriot Invitational… Highest finishes of the year came against ECU, Rider and Navy, where he placed second in the 50 free… Was also part of the winning 200 medley relay at two meets, and the 200 and 400 free relays at one meet each during the season… Swam career-best times in the 50 free (21.38), 100 free (47.00) and 100 fly (51.57) at the America East Championships and in the 100 back (55.12) at the Patriot Invite… Named to the America East All-Academic Team.
2006-07: Finished eighth in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly and 15th in the 50 free at the America East Championships… Was also part of the second place 200 free, fourth place 400 medley and 400 free, and sixth place 200 medley relays at the Patriot Invite… Finished 11th in the 50 free, 15th in the 100 fly, and 20th in the 100 free at the same meet… Highest individual finish of the year came against Marist where he finished second in the 50 free with a season-best time of 21.68… Was also part of the winning 400 medley relay at two dual meets, the 200 medley relay at three dual meets, and the 400 free relay at one dual meet… Swam season bests in the 50 free (21.68), 100 free (47.57), and 100 fly (51.95)… 50 free and 100 fly times were the fourth-fastest and 100 free time was the fifth-fastest times on the team… Named to the America East Honor Roll.
Background: Received All-America honors in the 200 medley relay… Named All-Ohio in the 50 and 100 freestyle… Placed fourth at the state meet in the medley relay and eighth in the 50 free… Also lettered in track and field in high school.
Personal: Son of Mark Vonder Haar and Laurie Kopec… Father ran track at Case Western… Has an older brother, Graham, and younger brother, Nathan… Born June 4, 1988… Majoring in chemical engineering.
