Aug. 8, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team will introduce 11 talented new swimmers and divers to the team for the 2007-08 season, as the 11-time defending BIG EAST Champions will work towards another strong and successful season.
Katie Casey (Jacksonville, Fla.), Delia Cronin (Phoenix, Ariz.), Lizzie Gormley (Houston, Texas), Kellyn Kuhlke (Plano, Texas), Samantha Maxwell (Chandler, Ariz.), Amywren Miller (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.), Lauren Parisi (Hauppauge, N.Y.), Meg Reynolds (Alpharetta, Ga.), Lauren Sylvester (Philadelphia, Pa.), Heidi Grossman (Providence, R.I.) and Amy Langnecker (Gibsonia, Pa.) comprise this year’s incoming class.
Here’s a closer look at the class and what the coaches had to say about each incoming athlete.
Katie Casey – Jacksonville, Fla. (Bolles School)
Butterfly and Freestyle Olympic Trials Qualifier
100 FL – 56.53 200 FL – 2:02.12 200 FR – 1:50.08 500 FR – 4:58.12
“Katie is continuing the long standing Notre Dame tradition in her family. Her sister Meghan will be a sophomore on the team this fall, her dad swam on the men’s team here and her mom went to St. Mary’s. She’s a very hard worker from an excellent club program at Bolles and she certainly knows what it takes to be great. She made her first Olympic trials cut at nationals this spring and is just beginning to break the surface of her potential.” (Carrie Nixon)
Delia Cronin – Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona Desert Fox)
Sprint Freestyle Junior National Qualifier
50 FR – 23.60 100 FR – 51.35 200 FR – 1:51.17
“Delia is a fountain of untapped potential; a very excitable, fun loving girl that will bring a ton of enthusiasm to our team. She’s a very technically sound swimmer and we’re excited to see how she blossoms in the college environment. She has great speed and will make an immediate impact on our sprinting group.” (Carrie Nixon)
Lizzie Gormley – Houston, Texas (Cypress Fairbanks Fleet)
Breaststroke Junior National Qualifier
100 BR – 1:05.06 200 BR – 2:19.37
“Lizzie is no stranger to hard work, coming from a solid and well respected club program at home. She’s a shining example of what we expect in a student-athlete and should really be able to make an impact both in and out of the pool. She’s a huge NASCAR fan as well, so we’re very excited to see that racing enthusiasm shine this season.” (Carrie Nixon)
Kellyn Kuhlke – Plano, Texas (Plano Swimming)
Butterfly and Freestyle Texas State Champion Olympic Trials Qualifier
100 FL – 54.66 200 FL – 2:01.43 100 FR – 51.52
“Kellyn is going to put our team on the national map in the butterfly this year, walking in the door with an Olympic trials cut and some serious competitive spirit. She has big shoes to fill in replacing Katie Carroll this season, but will certainly rise to that challenge and be an excellent leader on the team this year. (Carrie Nixon)
Samantha Maxwell – Chandler, Ariz. (Rio Del Sol)
Breaststroke and IM Arizona State Champion Olympic Trials Qualifier
100 BR – 1:02.75 200 BR – 2:15.87 200 IM – 2:06.96
“Sam is exactly what the doctor ordered for our breaststroke group – a raw, talented, tall and impressive athlete who will help catapult our medley relays to the next level. She also fills some big shoes behind Jessica Stephens and Julia Quinn, both of whom graduated this spring, but she is set to have an incredible collegiate career ahead. Her technique is very solid, so we’re excited to see her leap and bound up the national ladder in the years to come.” (Carrie Nixon)
Amywren Miller – Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. (Peddie School Aquatics)
Sprint Freestyle and Breaststroke New Jersey State Champion National Qualifier
50 FR – 23.26 100 FR – 50.46 100 BR – 1:04.42
“Amywren is our sprinter extraordinaire for this incoming class, a dominate force in the club circuit for many seasons now. She has lived and trained at Peddie, away from home, since middle school, making her adjustment to the college environment that much easier this fall. We’re very excited to get her into an intense sprinting regiment here and know that she’ll raise the bar for generations of Notre Dame sprinters.” (Carrie Nixon)
Lauren Parisi – Hauppauge, N.Y. (Suffolk Swimming)
Backstroke and Everything Else NY State Champion National Qualifier
100 BK – 56.13 200 BK – 1:58.47 200 IM – 2:03.89 100 FL – 55.52 100 FR – 51.23 200 FR – 1:50.02
“Lauren loves Notre Dame more than anything and her enthusiasm is infectious. She is a very well rounded athlete, able to compete and train in every stroke and she will be a force to be reckoned with this season. It seems that every time we turn around, Lauren is dropping time and adding new events to her repertoire. She is the kind of athlete who loves to win and hates to lose. She is a competitor in the true sense of the word and will make an immediate impact on our team this fall.” (Carrie Nixon)
Meg Reynolds – Alpharetta, Ga. (Dynamo Swim Club)
Sprint Freestyle Junior National Qualifier
50 FR – 24.11 100 FR – 51.45
“Meg is bundle of joy. She is a technical, hard working, focused athlete that will be an excellent addition to our growing sprint group this year. She bleeds blue and gold in all that she does, has a big heart and a ton of natural talent, so we’re excited to have her on the team.” (Carrie Nixon)
Lauren Sylvester – Philadelphia, Pa. (Germantown Academy)
Freestyle Olympic Trials Qualifier
200 FR – 1:50.98 500 FR – 4:54.38 1000 FR – 10:04.05
“Lauren also joins our tall club this season and will be an incredible addition to our excellent group of freestylers. Her positive attitude is infectious. She’s a superb trainer in the pool and has been well prepared for elite swimming in the years to come. She made her first Olympic trials cut at nationals this spring and is poised for an incredible collegiate career at Notre Dame.” (Carrie Nixon)
Heidi Grossman – Providence, R.I.
Diver Rhode Island State Champion USAD National Qualifier 1-Meter Specialist
“Heidi really raises the level of competition for our diving program. She works hard in practice and does very well in school. She is a consistent and focused athlete. Her enthusiasm is fun to be around and we’re excited to see her make history on the boards here at Notre Dame.” (Caiming Xie)
Amy Langnecker – Gibsonia, Pa.
Diver Pennsylvania State Finalist USAD National Qualifier 1-Meter Specialist
“Amy is a great girl. She is a very strong diver who will make some serious leaps in her performance this year. She’s relatively new to the 3-Meter boards, so she’ll be on an incredible learning curve as she improves her technique and style. We’re very excited that she’ll be a part of our program.” (Caiming Xie)