San Jose, Calif. — With a commitment for a high school All-American, the San Jose State Spartans swimming and diving head coach Sage Hopkins announced the signing of eight swimmers and one diver to National Letters-of-Intent on Wednesday.
“We are thrilled with our class of fall-signees. In this recruiting cycle we had a couple of primary objectives; namely sprint freestyle, breaststroke, and distance freestyle. We have accomplished this goal, adding both depth and strength to our program,” Hopkins said.
The 2016-17 freshman class is comprised of swimmers Jamie Dodd (Beverly Hills (Calif.) High), Sara Hagen (McFarland (Wis.) High), Katelyn Hanf (Lincoln High in Stockton, Calif.), Gabby Heng (Las Lomas High in Walnut Creek, Calif.), Jenna Lloyd (Diamond Bar (Calif.) High), Katie MacIntee (St. Francis High in Sacramento, Calif.), Jacqueline Nisson (Ponderosa High in Shingle Springs, Calif.), Violani Auva’a (Analy High School in Sebastopol, Calif.) and diver Natasha Sodeno (Pitman High in Turlock, Calif.).
“This is clearly one of the top classes the program has ever signed and I can’t wait to get these young ladies on campus this fall,” Hopkins said. “All nine are tremendously driven athletes who are academically driven and recognize the significant advantage SJSU will give them academically and professionally.”
Named to the high school All-American team 2014 in the breaststroke in 2014, Hagen also earned All-Wisconsin first team honors for 2013 and 2014 seasons. She qualified for the 2014 USA Winter Junior Nationals, held in Federal Way, Wash., in the 100 breaststroke and 100 butterfly.
Swimming at the Wisconsin State Championships on Friday, November 13, Hagen won the state title in 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke after finishing second in both events last season.
“We have also added four swimmers with very strong butterfly ability, and we will have one of the better butterfly groups in school history,” Hopkins said.
As the current record holder in the 100 butterfly with a mark of 59.12 at Ponderosa High, Nisson was named to the 2015 All-Capital Valley Conference second team in the 200 freestyle.
Joining her sister Brittany Heng on the swim team, Gabby Heng earned Scholastic All-American honors for the 2014 season along with Hagen.
“This is likely our most academically talented class in school history, with 5 out of the 9 having GPA’s between 3.92 and 4.28,” Hopkins said.
Being named Diamond Bar High School swim team most valuable player her junior season, Lloyd has set school records in the 50 freestyle and as a member of the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams.
by Brian S. Stanley, SJSU athletics media relations student assistant
Violani Auva’a
Hometown: Santa Rosa, Calif.
High School: Analy HS
Club: Santa Rosa Neptunes
Club Coach: Dan Greaves
Events: Backstroke and Butterfly
Jamie Dodd
Hometown: Beverly Hills, Calif.
High School: Beverly Hills HS
Club: Team Santa Monica
Club Coach: Dave Kelsheimer
Events: Middle Distance and Distance Freestyle, Butterfly and Individual Medley
Katelyn Hanf
Hometown: Stockton, Calif.
High School: Lincoln HS
Club: Tiger Aquatics
Club Coach: Peter Richardson
Events: Sprint Freestyle, Butterfly and Individual Medley
Sara Hagen
Hometown: McFarland, Wis.
High School: McFarland HS
Club: McFarland Spartan Sharks
Club Coach: Derrick O’Donnell
Events: Breaststroke and Butterfly
Gabriella Heng
Hometown: Walnut Creek, Calif.
High School: Las Lomas HS
Club: Walnut Creek Aquabears
Club Coach: Mike Heaney
Events: Sprint Freestyle and Butterfly
Jenna Lloyd
Hometown: Diamond Bar, Calif.
High School: Diamond Bar HS
Club: Brea Aquatics
Club Coach: Jim Johnson
Events: Breaststroke and Individual Medley
Katie McIntee
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
High School: St. Francis HS
Club: Davis Arden Racing Team at Arden Hills
Club Coach: Brian Nabeta
Event: Middle Distance Freestyle
Jacqueline Nisson
Hometown: Shingle Springs, Calif.
High School: Ponderosa HS
Club: Aquasol
Club Coach: Darin Mai
Event: Butterfly
Natasha Sodeno
Hometown: Turlock, Calif.
High School: Pitman HS
Club: Delta Valley Diving
Club Coach: Robert Wimberly
Event: Diving
Swimming news courtesy of San Jose Swimming & Diving.