STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford women’s swimming and diving program has announced the signing of seven incoming student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, with the group joining the Cardinal for the 2016-17 campaign.
“Today is a very exciting day for our program,” said head coach Greg Meehan, who guided the Cardinal to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2015. “It’s the product of a lot of hard work by our staff and by these amazing women. I’m just really happy about how this group came together. These seven incredible young people will make our team better in every sense. They have a great understanding of the core values of Stanford University and our swimming and diving program. They know what we value and what we stand for.”
“In the pool, I’m absolutely thrilled about how this group will impact our team,” continued Meehan. “They are very talented and present us with great balance across all strokes and distances. There is a scenario in which, as a class, they would cover all 16 swimming and diving events at championship meets. This is very rare and something I’m really excited about. This group, along with Katie Ledecky and the return of Simone Manuel and Kassidy Cook, bodes well for the future of our program.”
HANNAH BOYD |
| Lexington, Ill. (University HS) Bloomington/Normal YMCA Waves Top Events: 200 free (1:46/2:02) … 400 free (m) … 500 free (4:45/4:18) … 100 free (50.6/57.0) … placed 16th in the 200 free at 2014 Winter Nationals … at the 2013 Summer Juniors, placed 24th in the 100 free and 23rd in the 200 free. Boyd says: “As a 12-year-old girl I had the chance to swim at the Avery Aquatic Center for Junior Nationals. Ever since that moment, I knew I wanted to attend Stanford. Growing up in the middle of cornfields, the warm weather, nearby beaches and beautiful mountains, won me over. The more I learned about the school, amazing coaching staff and academic opportunities that were offered, the more I knew Stanford was the place for me. It encompasses everything I wish to achieve and I am excited to start my journey.” Meehan says: “I was really impressed by Hannah throughout the recruiting process. She presented herself and her story with a lot of maturity and perspective. I think Hannah’s attention to detail on all aspects of her training is going to impact our program in a lot of different ways. In the pool, I’m excited about what Hannah can add as a middle distance freestyler both individually and on our relays.”
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MEGAN BYRNES |
| Fairfax, Va. (Oaktown HS) Nation’s Capital Swim Club Top Events/Times: 1650 free (16:01.83 SCY) … 1000 free (9:40.94 SCY) … 500 free (4:43.43 SCY) … 400 IM (4:15.52 SCY) … two-time National Junior Team Member (2014-15, 2015-16) … 2015 NCSA Junior National Champion (800 free) … placed seventh at 2014 FINA Junior Worlds Open Water Championships … youngest qualifier at 2012 Olympic Trials (200 back) … 2016 Olympic Trial qualifier in 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 200 back and 400 IM … No. 14-ranked recruit by SwimSwam. Byrnes says: “I can’t wait to be at Stanford. I chose Stanford because I felt like it was the perfect fit for me. I feel fortunate to be able to attend a school with such incredible academics and an amazing swimming program. I fell in love with the campus, team and coaches, and it made me feel right at home. It’s long been a dream of mine to attend Stanford University and I can’t wait to finally make it a reality. Go Card!” Meehan says: “Megan was the first one in this class to commit, and did so pretty early in the process. I believe a lot of what our class represents is a product of who Megan is as a person. She brings a little bit of the ‘X’ factor and others were excited about being classmates with her. While Megan is best known for her distance freestyle ability (National Junior team member), she’s also a really talented 400 IM’er and 200 Backstroker.”
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KATIE DRABOT |
| Cedarburg, Wis. (Cedarburg HS) Ozaukee Aquatics Top Events/Times: 100 free (55.07) … 200 free (1:58.58) … 400 free (4:13.33) … 200 IM (2:14.38) … 400 IM (4.47.56) … 100 meter fly (1:00.01) … three-time National Junior Team Member (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) … 2013 Junior World Championships Gold Medalist in 800 meter free relay … 2013 Speedo Winter Junior Championship Gold Medalist in 200 yard free … 2014 Jr Pan Pac Gold Medalist in 200 meter free, 400 Medley Relay and 800 Free Relay … 2014 World Cup Team Member … 200 SCM free bronze medalist at Tokyo, 200 SCM free silver medalist at Singapore … 2014 Short Course World Championship Team Member (200 SCM free and 800 SCM free relay). Drabot says: “The reason I chose Stanford is because I wanted to be a true student-athlete. I feel like Stanford created the best opportunity for me to challenge myself both athletically and academically. I’ve created amazing bonds with Coach Greg (Meehan) and Coach Tracy (Duchac) and know the will push me to be the best I can be, both in and out of the pool. The team is amazing and I connected with everyone right away. I can’t wait to join such an elite group of girls next year.” Meehan says: “From the very beginning of the recruitment process, I was excited about what Katie could bring to our team. She is a wonderful young person who has a great work ethic, international racing experience and can swim a multitude of events. Katie’s impact on our program will be immediate and profound through her individual prowess and helping our relays. We’ve won six relays at the NCAA Championships over the past two years and Katie will put us in a position to compete for more during her four years.”
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HALEY FARNSWORTH |
| San Clemente, Calif. (San Clemente HS) Mission Viejo Nadadore Diving Three-time All-American (2013, 2014, 2015) … 2011-15 MVND JO National Team … 2015 JO 1 meter Zone E Champion … 2015 Senior Women Zone E 3 meter – 2nd place … 2015 CIF All County Team … three-time Scholar Athlete (2013-15) … 2014 JO Nationals 1m – 6th / Platform – 12th / 3m Synchro – 6th … 2014 Senior Nationals 1m – 13th / 3m – Synchro 15th … 2014 Senior Zones 1m – 3rd / 3m Synchro – 1st … 2014 JO Zones 1m – 1st / 3m – 3rd / Platform – 7th … 2013 Youth Olympic Games qualifier 3m – 16th … 2013 JO Nationals 4th / 3 meter synchro … 2013 16-18 JO Nationals 10th on 3 Meter … 2011 14-15 Region 9 Champion 1 & 3 meter … 2011 USA Diving National Prelims/Zone D 1st 3m Synchro … 2011 Senior Nationals 12th 3m Synchro. Farnsworth says: “What led me to choose Stanford was my recruiting visit and seeing what a cool place it is. From what I can tell, both academically and athletically, what Stanford has to offer is completely unparalleled. I’m really excited to be attending school there next year and feel it is where I want and need to be, in order to push myself.” Diving Head Coach Patrick Jeffrey says: “Haley is an up-and-coming fresh face in the USA Diving scene. She will come to us with solid basics and the strength to advance to more difficult skills quickly. Look for her on the national scene in time to make a substantial contribution in Stanford’s bid for an NCAA Championship during her tenure. Haley’s interests in the classroom lie in the environment and also in entrepreneurial business because she has aspires to go into the family business with her retired Pro Surfer dad. They plan to develop and market a California-inspired line of active wear.”
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BROOKE STENSTROM |
| Highlands Ranch, Co. (Valor Christian HS) Denver Swim Academy Top Events/Times: 50 free (23.23 50) … 100 free (49.77) … 200 free (1:51.27) … 100 breast (1:05.75) … Futures Championship Champion … four-time Colorado State champion … 4A Colorado High School State Record Holder in the 50 free … five-time NISCA All-American Team. Stenstrom says: “Swimming at Stanford University has been a dream of mine ever since I was a young girl. I was raised in the Stanford community and I have absolutely loved it all my life. Being presented with the opportunity to study at one of the world’s elite academic institutions, as well as being able to train with such talented girls and amazing coaches, has been the most incredible opportunity. I absolutely can’t wait to get there and start growing.” Meehan says: “Brooke had every reason to decide on Stanford with her mom, Lori, swimming here and her dad, Steve, playing football here. But what really impressed me about Brooke is how she made this process her own experience. I am thrilled about Brooke’s decision and I’m really excited about her future here. With her athleticism and approach to the sport, Brooke has huge upside as a sprint freestyler.”
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ALLIE SZEKELY |
| Doylestown, Pa. (Gwynedd Mercy Academy HS) Central Bucks Swim Team Top Events/Times: 200 back (1:53/2:11) … 400IM (4:06) … 200 breast (2:10) … Olympic trials qualifier … member of USA Swimming National Junior Team (2012-15). Szekely says: “One of the main reasons I chose Stanford was because of its great academic reputation. I am looking forward to pushing myself academically and athletically over the next four years. From the second I walked onto Stanford’s campus, I felt like I fit in so well with the entire swim team. I like to challenge myself in the pool and academically, and I know Stanford is the perfect place to accomplish this.” Meehan says: “As with the rest of the class, Allie is an incredible person who makes people around her better. Allie is very talented and well-rounded in her event profile. The fun part in coaching someone like Allie is figuring out what her best events will be. She’s made the National Junior team in five different events over the past few years and I love the challenge that it presents.”
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ERIN VOSS |
| Northampton, Mass. (Northampton HS) Greater Holyoke YMCA Top Events/Times: 100 back (53.37 SCY, 1:01.63 LCM) … 200 back (1:51.95 SCY, 2:10.58 LCM) … 200 free (1:47.87 SCY, 2:04.16 LCM) … 400/500 free (4:44.72 SCY, 4:20.27 LCM) … USA Swimming National Junior Team (2014-15, 2015-16) … No. 11 recruit according to SwimSwam … 2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier … YMCA National Record Holder. Voss says: “I’m really excited to be signing to swim for Stanford University. I chose Stanford because of its outstanding academics and the amazing culture of the swim team. Greg and Tracy are excellent coaches who clearly care about their swimmers. The team is friendly, hard-working and I cannot wait to start training with such a great group of people. Meehan says: “Erin really grabbed my attention when I watched her race for the first time last December. I can remember coming back from the meet and being really excited about her future in the sport. Erin is a sensational 200 Backstroker and will be really impactful in that event; but Erin is also really strong in the 500 Free and 400 IM. Erin has been able to garner international experience over the past two years at World Cup meets and I’m excited about how she brings this experience to our team. |
Above is a press release submitted by the Stanford Athletics Department.