Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham head coach Steve Potsklan and the Rams' swimming and diving squad announced the addition of five athletes today for 2014-15 season.  The list includes Tommy Christensen (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway West), Thomas Gillespie (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison), Liam Semple (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo), Chris Viera (Anaheim, Calif./Los Alamitos), and Erin Gray (Stamford, Conn./Westhill).
 
Christensen is a four-year varsity swimmer at Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Missouri.  A senior team captain, he has garnered All-State honors eight times over five events.  He is a two-time All-State selection in the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay, and 400 freestyle relay, while also earning All-State accolades in the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay.  A four-year scholar-athlete, Christensen was selected to the All-Conference team in each of his four seasons and helped set the school record in the 200 medley relay as a junior.  In the classroom, Christensen a National Merit semifinalist and AP Scholar, as well as a member of the Academic and Outstanding Citizenship Honor Roll.
 
Gillespie is a varsity swimmer at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, where he was an All-League performer.  He also competed for the Golden West Swim Club, which is coached by former U.S. National Team head coach Mark Schubert, and was an NCSA Junior National qualifier.
 
Semple is the second of three California natives to head East to Rose Hill.  A member of the varsity swimming team at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, he was a 2013 All-American in the 200 and 500 freestyle events and earned team MVP honors.  He helped set the school record in the 200 medley relay and was the Granite Hills Invitational male swimmer of the meet in 2013.
 
Aside from his time at Rancho Bernardo, Semple also competed for Club Gold Group, where he holds team records for the 400 individual medley (Long Course), 200 and 800 freestyle (Long Course), and 500 freestyle (Short Course), as well as in three relay events.  He was also a NCSA Junior National qualifier. Academically, Semple received Academic Silver Star honors in Spring 2013.
 
Viera is a varsity swimmer at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California, where he was the 2013 Swimmer of the Year, and helped Los Alamitos to the 2011 and 2013 League Championships.  He was also honored as the Orange County Register swimmer of the month.  Academically, he is a member of the National Honor Society and the Principal's honor roll, as well as being an AP Scholar Award winner.
 
Away from Los Alamitos, Viera is a club teammate of fellow recruit Thomas Gillepie at the Golden West Swim Club, which is coached by former U.S. National Team head coach Mark Schubert, and was also an NCSA Junior National qualifier.
 
Gray is the lone women's addition during the early signing period, joining her older sister, Megan, a current sophomore of the Fordham squad.  Gray is a four-year varsity swimmer at Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut, where she is a three-time team MVP and senior team captain. An All-FCIAC selection the past two seasons in the butterfly (First Team - 2013, Second Team - 2012), she has been a top 16 finalist in each of the last three seasons at the Connecticut Class LL Championships, as well as a top 16 finalist at the Connecticut High School Open Championship in 2013.  She is also a Scholar-Athlete award winner.
 
Away from Westhill, Gray competes for the Sharks Swim Club, where she is a member of their Senior team.  She is a two-time MVP and Scholar-Athlete for the squad (2012 and 2013).