June 27, 2007
Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham University head swimming coach Steve Potsklan announced the 2007 women's swimming and diving freshman class today. The class consists of Amanda Ciccone (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern), Christina Cosentino (Staten Island, N.Y./Notre Dame Academy), Natazia Fistrovic (Hershey, Pa./Hershey), Alexandra Alessi (Concord, Calif./Carondelet), Ashley Baele (Los Angeles, Calif./Palisades Charter), Elizabeth Legan (Wilton, Conn./Wilton), Alexandra Lowe (Hastings, Fla./Pedro Menedez), Rebekah Weiner (Red Bank, N.J./Ranney School), Lauren Maxwell (Schenectady, N.Y./Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons), and Emily Wojdyla (Higganum, Conn./Haddon Killingworth).
Ciccone is a graduate of Suffern High School in Suffern, New York, where she lettered in swimming and track and field. A six-time All-County honoree and five-time All-Section winner, she was a three-time swimming team MVP. Ciccone, who holds five school records at Suffern, is a five-time state qualifier. She served as a team captain as a senior. Academically, Ciccone is a member of the National Honor Society, History Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Foreign Language Honor Society as well as being a member of the Distributive Educational Club of America.
Cosentino, a graduate of Notre Dame Academy in Staten Island, lettered in swimming for four years. She holds league records in the 100 back and 200 medley relay and was named Most Dedicated and MVP at Notre Dame Academy. She served as team captain as a senior. In the classroom, Cosentino is a member of the National Honor Society and is an Academic All-County Award recipient and a Staten Island Advance All-Star.
Fistrovic, a graduate of Hershey High School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, lettered in swimming, track and field and cross country in high school. A four-year varsity letter winner, she earned All-America honors in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. Fistrovic sets school records in the 100 fly, 500 free, 200 free relay, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay in 2006-07 and in the 100 fly and 500 free in 2004-05. She served as a team captain as a senior. Fistrovic lettered for four years on the track, setting a school record as part of the 4x800 relay. She was also a state qualifier and a district medalist. Academically, Fistrovic is a member of the National Honor Society and was a C.S. "Pop" Kelchner Student Scholar-Athlete Nominee.
Alessi, a graduate of Carondelet High School in Concord, California, lettered in swimming and water polo for the Cougars. She was a three-time Northern California State qualifier and a four-time BVAL finalist while also serving as a team captain as a senior. In water polo, Alessi helped the team to the NCS finals while earning Second Team All-BVAL honors.
Baele, a graduate of Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California, lettered with both the swimming and diving squads in high school. She placed first in the League Finals in 2006 and 2007 and took third place in the 2007 Los Angles City Diving Championships. Baele served as the diving captain in 2006 and 2007 and earned Most Improved honors in 2006. Legan is a graduate of Wilton High School in Wilton, Connecticut where she lettered with the swimming squad for four years as well as swimming with a YMCA team for four years. At Wilton, she received Connecticut All-State honors in four events as a sophomore and junior, helping to lead the team to the 2005 state championship.
Legan, who served as a team captain as a senior, also received Connecticut All-State honors as a freshman while also receiving the Melissa Nickel Award. With her YMCA team, Legan was a National Qualifier and Connecticut Swimming Top 16 every year since 2002. In 2003, she was a 10K Open Water National Championship participant.
Lowe, a graduate of Pedro Menedez High School in St. Augustine, Florida, lettered for four years with the Falcons' swimming squad. She holds school records in the 200 free and 500 free and was named team MVP as a junior and senior. Lowe served as a team captain in 2007 and was named Most Improved as a sophomore. In the classroom, Lowe is a member of the National Honor Society.
Maxwell, a graduate of Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons in Schenectady, New York, competed with the track and field and cross country squads in high school while swimming with the Albany Starfish Swimming Club. She served as the cross country and track and field team captain in 2006-07 and received the Scholar-Athlete Award all four years. She received Big 10 Athletic Conference First Team All-Star honors in cross country as a freshman and Second Team honors as a sophomore and junior. Academically, the National Honor Society member earned First Honors all four years at Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons and Principal's List honors as a junior and senior. A 2007 Prudential Spirit of Community Award recipient, she also received a New York State Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship.
Weiner is a graduate of Ranney School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey where she lettered in swimming, softball, soccer and cross country. She holds all varsity women's records in all individual events at Ranney and earned Star-Ledger All-Prep Second Team honors in 2004. Weiner was also named women's swimming team MVP all four years in high school. In softball, Weiner was named First Team All-State All-Prep School conference in 2005 and was named team MVP as a senior. She received the Athletic Directors Award as the Student-Athlete of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
