Melanie Buddemeyer

Melanie Buddemeyer (born c. 1966) and grew up in the greater Pittsburgh area. She began swimming at a Penn Hills area local club, known as the Greater Pittsburgh Club when she was seven. From the ages of around 11 through 16, she was coached by Al Rose at the Jewish Community Center in the greater Pittsburgh suburb of Squirrel Hill, later swimming for Bob Clemmer at the Chartiers Valley Club. She graduated from Penn Hills High School in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania in 1984, where she swam for Coach Drew Thomas, and as an outstanding student, was class valedictorian maintaining a 4.0 average through most of her high school career.

During her High School years, she won eight gold medals in individual events in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League, and won an additional eight gold medals for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Strongly distinguished in her high school swimming career, at the time only eleven other swimming competitors had ever won eight gold medals in State competition. By the end of her Senior year in June, 1984, she had won 12 state championships in swimming with eight individual and four relay championships.

Records In the 100-yard butterfly, she set a High School national record of 54.02 seconds and held a state record in the event through 1998.

Despite being second in the World in the 200-meter butterfly in 1984, Buddemeyer placed eighth in the 200-meter butterfly finals at the U.S. Olympic trials with a 2:16.83 on June 30, 1984 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She had swum the event in 2:12.92 at the U.S. Indoor Nationals in March 1984. An able student at North Carolina she received her degree with majors in both German and Biology. During her collegiate career, she earned NCAA All-American honors four times, and captured Atlantic Coast Conference Championship titles eight times in the 100 and 200 Butterfly events. A formidable opponent in college competition, she was undefeated in her events at North Carolina in every conference championship and dual meet in which she participated.

International competition In addition to her 1982 bronze medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships, she captured medals in her signature 100-meter butterfly at the 1985 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and the 1985 World University Games.

She was married to local swimming competitor Mike Kozlina, a varsity swim coach at Hampton High School, who was an All-American swimmer at the University of Pittsburgh. Melanie is the mother of Alexa (Ali) Kozlina and Michael (Shane) Kozlina jr.

Honors In 2011, she became a member of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Hall of Fame.