July 26, 2011
Bronx, N.Y. -
Fordham swimming & diving coach Steve Potsklan announced 13 more additions to the team's 2011-12 recruiting class today, which adds to the five early signees
The men's team will add freshmen Ryan Begley, Nick Burbidge, Mac Groot, Andrew Hendrickson, Kevin Kosciuk, Patrick Militti, Brennan Simpkins, and Brandon Strong. The group joins Zachary Jacobsen, who was an early period recruit.
The women's team will add freshmen Savannah Coe, Victoria McGovern, Maureen McKenna, Miranda Morton, and Aurelia O'Keefe. The group joins early period recruits Spencer Chappell, Ariana Peschke, Jordan Tomimatsu, and Frances Warren.
Here's a breakdown of each new addition:
Ryan Begley - Free/Fly - Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Charlotte Catholic High School in North Carolina... Two-year captain... Helped Charlotte Catholic to the 2008 State Championship and runner-up finishes from 2009-11... Member of the school record 200 freestyle relay team... Named All-State in 2011, while earning All-Region honors three times (2009-11)... Named All-Conference in each of his four years at Charlotte Catholic... Also swims club for Team Charlotte Swimming and during the summer for Olde Providence Racquet Club, where he also serves as an assistant swim coach... Member of the honor roll.
Nick Burbidge - Free - Pleasant Hill, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd
- Varsity swimmer at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California... Three-time team MVP... Was an All-League performer in each of his four seasons on the team... Broke the school's 20-year old record in the 500 freestyle as a junior... NCS Finalist in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle events as both a junior and a senior... Swam club for the Walnut Creek Aquabears... Competed at the Western Zone Championship in 2008, when he was a Sectional Qualifier in seven events... Two-time Zone All-Star... 2010 Senior Meet Championship finalist, which was held in Clovis, California... Lifetime member of the California Scholarship Federation
Mac Groot - Back/Free/IM - Encinitas, Calif./Torrey Pines
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California... Recipient of the Coaches' Award three times (2008-11)... Named Most Valuable Freshman in 2007... Part of the 400 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay school records, which were set in 2011... Swam club for Rancho San Dieguito.
Andrew Hendrickson - Distance Free - Stamford, Conn./Westhill
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Westhill High School... Team captain... All-American... Two-time 500 freestyle state champion (2010, 2011) and All-State selection... Four-time All-FCIAC selection... School record holder in the 500 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay ... Was the team's high point scorer twice... Swam club for the Sharks Swim Team, where he was the team MVP and high point scorer in both 2010 and 2011... USA Swimming and Connecticut Scholar-Athlete... Was the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle state champion... 800-meter freestyle Senior Open champion... Earned Top 16 in the state award seven times... FCIAC Scholar-Athlete.
Kevin Kosciuk - IM/Fly - Cheshire, Conn./Xavier
- Varsity swimmer at Xavier High School... Team captain... Two-time Scholastic All-American (2010-11)... School record holder in the 400 freestyle relay and the 200 individual medley... Four-time All-SCC selection (2008-11)... Named to the All-State three times (2009-11)... Named to the All-Area team twice by the Middletown Press, The Hartford Courant, and the New Haven Register... Swam club for the Cheshire YMCA C-Dogs... Three-time YMCA National Qualifier.... Sectional Qualifier... Connecticut Swimming Scholar-Athlete... Member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies... Member of the Headmaster's List ... Received the President's Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence.
Patrick Militti - Fly/Free - Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Creighton Prep in Omaha, Nebraska... Earned All-American status in each of his four seasons at Creighton... 2010 State Champion in the 200 freestyle event... Member of the 400 freestyle relay that set the state record in 2009... Swam club for Swim Omaha.
Brennan Simpkins - Fly/IM - Woodland Hills, Calif./Crespi Carmelite
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California... Two-year team captain... 2011 Scholastic All-American... Recipient of the 2011 Coach's Award... Named Most Inspirational Swimmer twice (2009-10)... Four-time Mission League All-Academic Team honoree... CIF Division I qualifier all four years of high school... Member of the school record 200 medley relay team... Swam club for CLASS Aquatics... National Merit Scholar.... Part of the California Scholarship Federation... Senior class vice-president... Received the Elijah Leadership Scholarship Award.
Brandon Strong - Fly/IM - Durham, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas
- Member of the varsity swim team for three years at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, New Hampshire... Two-year team captain... Two-time team MVP... 2010 State Champion in the 100 butterfly... Spent 10 years with the Seacoast Swimming Association for his club team... Captured the New England Age Group and Open Championships... Participant at the Southern Zone Super Sectionals in Fort Lauderdale, Florida... Helped Seacoast win the Granite State Championship every season since 2001... Member of the National Honor Society and Latin National Honor Society... Earned cum laude standing on the National Latin Exam.
Savannah Coe - Breast/IM - Auburn, Wash./Thomas Jefferson
- Varsity swimmer at Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn, Washington... Three-time recipient of the team's coaches award... Named the team's outstanding freshman in 2007... School record holder in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley... Swam club for King Aquatic Club... Member of the National Honor Society... Scholastic All-American... Commended National Scholar... Paul Robeson Scholar-Athlete.
Victoria McGovern - IM/Breast - Stamford, Conn./Stamford
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Stamford High School in Stamford, Connecticut... Team captain... Three-time team MVP... All-State selection once... Two-time All-FCIAC honoree... Named FCIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month twice...Swam club for Sharks Swimming Inc... Sharks Senior Swimmer of the Year... Finished in the Top 16 in the state from 2008-10 in both breaststroke events... Member of the National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society... Received the Stamford High Art Best in Show award.
Maureen McKenna - Back - Parlin, N.J./Sayreville
- Four-year varsity swimmer at Sayreville High School in Parlin, New Jersey... Team captain... Star Ledger Swimmer of the Year as a senior... Six-time County Champion... Named to the Middlesex-County All-Star Team in each of her four seasons at Sayreville... Swam club for Red Bank YMCA... YMCA National Championship qualifier... Scholastic All-American... Member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society... NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete.
Miranda Morton - Fly/Distance Free - Highlands Ranch, Colo./Regis Jesuit
- Split her varsity swimming career between Regis Jesuit High School (2009-11) and Mountain Vista (2007-09)... Two-time U.S.A. Swimming Academic All-American... 2011 All-State Honorable Mention... Also ran varsity cross country at Regis Jesuit... Two-time First Team Academic All-State selection in both swimming (2010 & 2011) and cross country (2009 & 2010)... Helped her team to the 5A State Team Swimming Championship... Swam club for Denver Swim Academy... Sectional finalist... Member of the National Honor Society... Received the LeMoyne Heights Scholarship Award... Delegate for the National Youth Leadership Conference.
Aurelia O'Keefe - Fly/Back - San Antonio, Texas/Winston Churchill
- Three-year varsity swimmer at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas... Team captain... Two-time All-American in the 200 medley relay (2009-10), while receiving All-American Consideration in the 100 butterfly (2011)... Named Female Swimmer of the Year for the 2010-11 season... Three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American... Named to the TISCA All-District, All-Region, and All-State team in each of her three seasons at Winston Churchill... Selected to the NEISD All-District Athletic Academic Team in 2010... School record holder in the 200 medley relay... NISCA State Top 16 Award in the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle in 2008... Swam club for the Alamo Area Aquatics Association, which took third place at the 2009 Speedo Short Course Junior Nationals... Placed 31st in the 200 butterfly at the 2008 Speedo Short Course Junior Nationals... Graduated suma cum laude from Winston Churchill... Member of the National Honor Society, serving as the chapter secretary.
