Liberty Women Add Pair of Game-Changers

The old cliché goes that “success breeds success,” and for Liberty coach Jake Shellenberger, the prophecy is coming true after three years at the helm. After sending redshirt sophomore sprinter Brye Ravettine to the NCAA Championships, the Flames took full advantage to make two monstrous additions to their recruiting class in the spring signing period.

That begins with the transfer of Emilie Kaufman from Rutgers and the Big East. In her two seasons in New Brunswick, she didn’t have great performances, and in most races was unable to match her speed from high school.

Still, she comes to Liberty with 29 career swims that better the School Record in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.09), so that mark should be obliterated in her first season (assuming fall signer Laura Day and her 1:02.70 don’t get there first). Her best time was from the end of her senior year in high school where she was a 1:02.66; her best in two seasons at Rutgers was a 1:04.00 at last year’s Big East Championships. She should also destroy the school record in the 200 breaststroke, with a best of 2:15.25.

If she can get back below her bests in the freestyle races (23.89/51.42/1:53.16), she could theoretically be on each of those relays, and would certainly crack a few more of the school’s all-time top 5’s.

Shellenberger has already been impressed by Kaufman’s strength and natural athleticism. “She is very strong in the weight room, she just needs to transfer that land strength to specific power in the water…her brother plays football at Pacific Lutheran.”

The other addition is Jess Reindhart out of Australia. She didn’t finish her 2011-2012 season the way she would have wanted, but at December’s Queensland State Championships she marked a 1:01.71 in the 100 fly. Almost all of her success has been in long course (her long course times are faster than her short course times). That converts to a 54-low in yards, and Shellenberger thinks she will do well when she spends more time training and racing in short course.

“Reinhardt is excellent underwater and will transition well to SCY swimming,” Shellenberger said of his new butterflier.

The addition of her and Day gives the Flames class two swimmers who have cleared American Olympic Trials qualifying standards.

Most importantly, the Liberty head coach thinks that both fit well into the unique culture of Liberty, which was founded by famous evangelist Jerry Falwell.

This tops off an impressive group of 7 recruits for Liberty, which has only had a swim program for two seasons (both at the Division 1 level). “Four out of the seven score in the A-Final at (the CCSA) Championships as freshman,” Shellenberger said. He also pointed out the diverse geography for the Virginia University.

“They come from 6 different states and Australia – only one from Virginia. We have a nationwide recruiting focus as the mission of the school is not one of regional success. We want to become a top National university and so we’ll recruit nationally,” speaking to the incorporation of athletics into the university’s wider mission.

“Overall, I’m very pleased with the whole class. When you look at what Brye did at NCAA’s this year in just our second year in program history and look at this class as a whole – my hope is that it tells top recruits and club coaches across the country that you can swim fast here even though we’re a new program. Our staff isn’t new and has been well-groomed and mentored by some of the greatest coaches this sport has ever seen. We hope top recruits and club coaches see that – we’re at the meet and scoring and we would love for them to be a part of it.”

Shellenberger has previous stops at Arizona, where he worked under Frank Busch.

The Flames have done well in using past connections to build their program. Ravettine was a Penn State transfer; Shellenberger was a former assistant there and his assistant Jessica Barnes is a former Nittany Lion swimmer. Barnes is also a former assistant at Rutgers.