BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The WKU swimming and diving team has put together another stellar recruiting class, as 16 newcomers come to Bowling Green for the 2014-15 season.
"We are extremely excited about this year's class," WKU head coach Bruce Marchionda said. "We feel that even though it is a small class for us--15 swimmers and one diver--it is a class that has the ability to have an immediate impact in what we are doing--not only in the pool, but as I met with them, they have the ability to take on a leadership roles by example. They'll really have an impact on the direction that we want to take this program over the next four years. So we are really excited about it. It's a very talented class with great potential, and we are very excited about them top to bottom."
The newcomers will join a WKU squad that saw the men's side win the Conference USA Men's Invitational in their second year with the league while the women took fourth in their first time at the league meet. Fabian Schwingenschlogl highlighted the program's individual honors, as he earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships while Nadine Laemmler was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year and Amy Crayne garnered the league's Freshman Diver of the Year. Overall, WKU had 28 NCAA "B" cuts, three NCAA Zone Diving qualifiers and 17 new school records.
Take a look at the newest Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers:
MEN
Ryan Burcham - Lenoir City, Tenn./Blount Area Swim Team
Best Times: 100 Fly - 49.6; 200 Fly - 1:53.8; 50 Free - 21.5
Collin Craig - Meadow Vista, Calif./California Capital Aquatics
Best Times: 200 Free - 1:39.9; 500 Free - 4:28.3; 1000 Free - 9:30.0; 1650 Free - 15:49.8; 200 Back - 1:50.7; 400IM - 4:03.9
Andrew Dobbs - Nashville, Tenn./Southern Methodist University/Nashville Aquatic Club
Best Times: 50 Free - 21.2; 100 Free - 46.7; 200 IM - 1:54.4
Daniel McGee - Murray, Ky./Thunderbold Aquatics
Best Times: 200 Free - 1:42.0; 500 Free - 4:34.8; 1000 Free - 9:36.2; 1650 Free - 16:06.9
John Myhre - Knoxville, Tenn./Pilot Aquatics Club
Best Times: 50 Free - 20.9; 100 Free - 45.3; 200 Free - 1:39.1; 100 Back - 51.2; 200 Back - 1:48.4
Alex Sajewski - Keller, Texas/Lindenwood University/Texas Riversharks
Best Times: 100 Fly - 49.8; 200 Fly - 1:53.6
Fabian Schwingenschlogl (January 2014) - Nuremburg, Germany/FCM Schwimmen
Best Times: 100 Breast - 52.2; 200 Breast - 1:54.4; 200 IM - 1:45.8
Macmillan Slattery - Bowling Green, Ky./SKY Swimming
Best Times: 100 Fly - 50.5; 200 Fly - 1:52.8; 200 Free - 1:44.2
John Smith - Huntsville, Ala./Huntsville Swim Association
Best Times: 100 Fly - 49.6; 200 Fly - 1:49.7; 100 Free - 46.1; 200 Free - 1:41.9
WOMEN
Elizabeth Baertlein - Eagle, Wis./Waukesha Express
Best Times: 100 Back - 56.6; 200 Back - 2:01.4
Haley Black - Prince George, British Columbia/Prince George Barracudas
Best Times: LCM 100 Back - 1:04.0; LCM 200 Back - 2:17.5; LCM 100 Fly - 1:01.5; LCM 200 Fly - 2:15.4; SCM 200 IM - 2:17.2; SMC 400 IM - 4:48.2
Logan Graumann - Maryville, Tenn./Blount Area Swim Team
Best Times: 50 Free - 23.4; 100 Free - 51.1; 100 Back - 56.7
Sydney King - Granville, Ohio/New Albany Aquatic Club
Best Times: 200 Free - 1:49.6; 500 Free - 4:53.6; 100 Back - 57.2; 200 Back - 2:03.4
Megan Kovac - Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor YMCA Piranhas
Best Times: 50 Free - 24.7; 100 Free - 53.2
Nadine Laemmler (January 2014)/Wackersdorf, Germany/SV Nikar Heidelberg
Best Times: 100 Back - 53.1; 200 Back - 1:55.3; 200 IM - 1:59.0
Hannah Musser - Overland Park, Kan./Kansas City Blazers
Best Times: 50 Free - 23.9; 100 Free - 51.0; 200 Free - 1:49.9; 100 Fly - 55.1; 200 Fly - 2:02.6; 200 IM - 2:02.5; 400 IM - 4:23.8
Kristen Nunnelly - Center Grove, Ind./Center Grove Swim Club
Best Times: 100 Free - 52.5; 200 Free - 1:51.1; 500 Free - 4:53.2
DIVING
Savannah Neddo - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Career Highlights: Two-time national champion; 10-time provincial champion
For all the latest news and information on WKU swimming and diving, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program on Twitter via @WKUSwimDive and @WKUDiving and by liking the team on Facebook through WKU Swimming and Diving.
