The University of Nevada women’s swimming team will look dramatically different next season than they did last season thanks to a whopping 18 new additions to the roster.
That list includes 12 new freshmen and 6 incoming transfers. While that’s not the biggest incoming class we’ve ever seen, it represents roughly two-thirds of the 20-24 swimmers that Nevada usually carries on its roster.
Nevada head coach Brendon Bray called it a “perfect storm of needing new swimmers.” The team graduated a huge group of seniors and grad students, partially because the team recruited a lot of transfers during COVID.
With a transfer out, a medical disqualification, and a retirement, the program’s need for new swimmers grew dramatically.
Among the headliners of the group is Frederica Kizek, a native of Katy, Texas, who is a graduate transfer from SMU. Kizek was the 2022 AAC Champion in the 1650 free. Her best times in the 500 free (4:46.71) and the the 1650 free (16:27.69) would rank her 2nd in Nevada program history. Her time in the mile would have won the Mountain West conference title last year in an event where the Wolf Pack were weak – they didn’t enter any milers in the conference championship meet.
The team has also picked up a pair of Scottish swimmers: Scarlett Ferris from the University of Stirling and former Scottish National Team swimmer Yasmin Perry from the University of Aberdeen.
The Nevada team returns three swimmers (Colette Berkenfield, Caitlin Smith, and Anslee Dickerson) and four divers (Lucia Gabino, Melissa Mirafuentes, Bailey Heydra, and Dani Griffin) from last year’s team.
Full Press Release/Class Breakdown
RENO, Nev. – Nevada swim and dive will add 18 newcomers to the team for the 2023-24 season.
The team looks to turn over a new leaf with essentially an entirely new team and rely on its returners to step into leadership roles. The team will add to its international presence, adding six international student-athletes across four countries.
Freshmen
Twelve freshmen will join the Pack this season.
Samantha Bristor (Fairbanks, Alaska / West Valley HS / Midnight Sun Swim Team)
Bristor was ranked first in Alaska this past year and was an Alaskan champion at the Alaska Swimming State Championships with a personal record time of 24.67 in the 50-yard freestyle and 52.93 in the 100-yard freestyle.
Notable Times
50-yard freestyle – 51.60
200-yard freestyle – 1:52.50
“I can’t tell you how excited we are to have Sam with us,” said head coach Brendon Bray. “She could really be as good as she wants to be and we are going to look for her to bring competitive fire to our program. I love that she is from Alaska and we expect her to make a big impact with us in the mid-distance freestyle events.”
Audrey Bull (Redding, Calif. / Shasta HS / Redding Swim Team)
Bull will compete in the breaststroke and butterfly for the Pack. She had a personal best in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:19.35) and 200-yard butterfly (2:03.81) in February 2023.
Notable Times
200 breaststroke – 2:19.35
200 butterfly – 2:03.81
“We identified Audrey very early on in the process and she was one of our first calls,” said Bray. “Audrey is one of the most well-rounded swimmers I have ever met. She is an excellent student while also holding leadership positions in her LSC and is an incredibly diverse swimmer. She can swim almost any event and I think that she has a high ceiling in her development. She is going to be a strong leader and a great asset to our program with her diversity in events.”
Keira-Lee Allott (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mt. Maunganui Swimming Club)
Allott is a strong freestyle competitor, breaking the national record for the 1,500 freestyle short course meters in the 16-year-old age category with a time of 16:33.37 in 2021.
Notable Times
400 freestyle (SCM) – 4:11.43
800 freestyle (SCM) – 8:39.06
1500 freestyle (SCM) – 16:33.37
“Keira has big time potential to make a huge impact with us,” said Bray. “She is primarily a distance swimmer but also can swim many other events including the 200 free and backstroke. After her experience at Junior Pan Pacs last summer and I expect her to make a big impact.”
Campbell Deringer (Camas, Wash. / Camas HS / Lake Oswego Swim Club)
Deringer is primarily a breaststroke swimmer. She finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke final at the Western Zone Senior Championship and has a personal best of 29.41 in the 50-yard breaststroke finals. She took second in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM at the 2023 Oregon High School Championships
Notable Times
100-yard breaststroke – 1:03.01
200-yard breaststroke – 2:20.59
“Campbell comes from an amazing club team and is a rapidly developing breaststroke swimmer,” said Bray. “I think that she will have a huge impact with her positive attitude and what she will bring to our culture. We are so lucky she chose to join us.”
Aimee Monks (Worcester, Great Britain / Royal Wolverhampton Swimming Club)
Monks is the British champion in the 400-meter freestyle in the 18 and under division. She is No.2 in British Swimming in 200 freestyle SCM 18 and under, second in 100 freestyle SCM, first in the 400 free, and fifth in 50 free SCM. Monks was also a finalist in 2022 and 2023 British short course and long course championships.
Notable Times
50 freestyle (SCM) – 25.62
100 freestyle (SCM) – 55.26
200 freestyle (SCM) – 1:59.65
400 freestyle (SCM) – 4:12.63
“Aimee has had an outstanding year of swimming this past season in the UK,” said Bray. “She is primarily a middle distance free specialist but can go down to sprint and up to distance if needed. She is an amazing student and a very professional swimmer. She has an amazing family who support her and our university is lucky and honored to have her with us for the next four years.”
Evie Floate (Ellesmere, Great Britain / Plymouth Leander Swimming Association)
Floate will primarily focus on freestyle as part of the Pack. She has competed in the 2022 and 2023 British short-course and long course championships. Floate competes for one of the highest clubs in the UK and has competed at a national level.
Notable Times
50 freestyle (SCM) – 25.58
100 freestyle (SCM) – 55.82
100 breaststroke (SCM) – 1:11.27
200 breaststroke (SCM) – 2:31.95
“Evie has been a rapidly improving British swimmer who focused more on breaststroke when we began recruiting her but has blossomed into an incredible sprint freestyler,” said Bray. “She swims for one of the best teams in England and is really ready to make an impact and help us get to the next level.”
Molly Von Seggern (Omaha, Neb. / Millard North Hs / Greater Omaha Aquatics)
Von Seggern was ranked third in the state of Nebraska this past year and first in Greater Omaha Aquatics in USA Club (Open). She placed first in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke finals at the Nebraska High School Championships in Feb. 2023 with personal best times of 55.92 in the fly and 55.27 in the backstroke. Von Seggern qualified and competed in the 2023 Summer Junior National Championships in Irvine, Calif.
Notable Times
100-yard backstroke – 55.27
200-yard backstroke – 1:59.61
100-yard butterfly – 55.92
“Molly had massive improvements this season and has as much upside as anyone on our team, said Bray. “She can swim butterfly and backstroke and is going to make a huge impact on our team in those events but also has the opportunity to swim at a high level every day with other athletes who help push her.”
Olivia Stevenson (Acampo, Calif. / Lodi High School / California Gold)
Stevenson comes in as a strong butterfly and freestyle swimmer. She was a two-time champion at the Speedo Sectionals in Roseville, Calif., in the 200 long-course meters (LCM) butterfly with a time of 2:19.22 and the 200 long-course meters (LCM) IM with a time of 2:20.47.
Notable Times
100-yard freestyle – 51.26
200-yard freestyle – 1:50.94
100-yard butterfly – 55.08
200-yard butterfly – 2:01.76
“Olivia has an amazing competitive spirit,” said Bray. “She has made some big drops this season and will help us in a range of events from freestyle to butterfly. Coach Adriana and Olivia go way back to Olivia’s club days so we have a lot of familiarity with her and we think she has big time potential.”
Sara Mihalič (Ljubljana, Slovenia / Olimpija Ljubljana)
Mihalič excels in breaststroke and the individual medley. Ranked No.1 in Slovenia in the 200 and 400 IM SCM and No. 2 in the 200 Breaststroke SCM according to SwimRankings.com. At the MPM Borac Telegroup Grand Challenge in July 2023, Mihalič finished first in the 50-meter breaststroke finals with a season best time of 34.71 and first in the 200-meter IM finals with a time of 2:24.81.
Notable Times
100 breaststroke (SCM) – 1:09.82
200 breaststroke (SCM) – 2:30.72
200 IM (SCM) – 2:14.85
400 IM (SCM) – 4:48.23
“Sara is one of the top swimmers in Slovenia and has had huge drops this past season,” said Bray. “Sara is probably the most diverse new swimmer on our team next season and can swim almost any event although she specializes more in IM and breast. She is a very determined worker and a very strong student and I can’t wait to get her on campus and start working with her soon.”
Sydney Boudreaux (Round Rock, Texas / Cedar Ridge HS / Whitecaps of Westlake)
Boudreaux will primarily focus on freestyle. She competed in the Speedo Sectionals Austin in July 2023. She competed in the ultra-competitive Texas state high school championships.
Notable Times
100-yard freestyle – 52.12
200-yard freestyle – 1:52.70
500-yard freestyle – 5:05.49
“Sydney is a very talented middle distance swimmer from an area that has one of the top groups of talent in the country,” said Bray. “We were so excited when she committed to us because she can help our program in a range of freestyle events.”
Evie Wood (Hudson, Wis. / Hudson HS / Saint Croix Swim Club)
Wood was a two-time finalist at the Minnesota Senior LC Championship where she placed second in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:02.51 and the 200-meter butterfly with a mark of 2:23.78 in July 2023.
Notable Times
100-yard butterfly – 55.32
100-yard butterfly (LCM) – 1:02.51
200-yard butterfly – 2:04.24
200-yard IM – 2:04.05
“Evie can do fly and IM and is still developing as a swimmer in other events as well,” said Bray. “We love that she fell in love with Nevada on her visit because she could make a really big impact right away.”
Henley Kerr (Lake Forest, Calif. / El Toro HS / Mission Viejo Nadadores)
Kerr is a strong breaststroke swimmer looking to make an impact for the Pack. Kerr was a USA Swimming Junior National qualifier. She was the CIF-SS Division 2 champion in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:02.92 in 2022, which is her personal best in that event.
Notable Times
100-yard breaststroke – 1:02.92
200-yard breaststroke – 2:17.74
“Henley comes in with impressive breaststroke times and I think will make an impact right away,” said Bray. “She comes from a very strong swimming area in Orange County and has a very supportive family. We expect her to bring a really strong work ethic to our team and also a really high level attitude about swimming.”
Scarlett Ferris (Fife, Scotland / University of Stirling)
Ferris will focus on freestyle and backstroke for the Pack. Second in Scotland in the 50 back and 100 back, she has competed in the British Short Course Championships.
Notable Times
50 backstroke (SCM) – 27.35
100 backstroke (SCM) – 59.80
200 backstroke (SCM) – 2:16.90
“We think we will be able to develop her longer swims and she has a chance to be one of the top back strokers in the conference,” said Bray. “She follows a tradition of fantastic Scottish swimmers coming to Nevada and we can’t wait to work with her and get her on campus soon.”
Transfers
The Wolf Pack picked up five transfers this off season.
Katelyn Buono (Sparks, Nev. / University of Utah / Spanish Springs HS / Reno Aquatic Club)
Buono returns to her hometown after one year at Utah. She is a strong backstroke swimmer and recorded five season bests at the Pac-12 Championships. Buono has experience competing against UNLV, placing second in the 200-yard IM.
Notable Times
100-yard backstroke – 55.81
200-yard backstroke – 2:00.12
400-yard IM – 4:22.07
“Katelyn is a local Reno swimmer and we are so happy that she decided to come back home to Nevada to represent her hometown,” said Bray. “She will make a big impact in the Mountain West and we expect big things from her.”
Katie Schwarze (Galt, Calif., San Jose State University / Liberty Ranch HS / California Gold)
Schwarze transfers with Mountain West experience after one year at San Jose State University. Schwarze participated on the San Jose State 200 freestyle relay team at the Mountain West Championships.
Notable Times
50-yard freestyle – 23.85
100-yard freestyle – 52.73
100-yard butterfly – 57.41
“Katie is a very determined hard worker and we are so lucky that she decided to join our team,” said Bray. “She will provide great depth in the sprint free events and has potential in the butterfly as well. We are going to look to her to lead by example and expect her to bring strong leadership to our team.”
Frederica Kizek (Katy, Texas / SMU / Morton Ranch HS / Power for Life)
Kizek comes to Nevada as a graduate student spending the last four years at SMU. Three of the four years, SMU finished top 3 in the conference. Kizek was the 2022 AAC champion in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:27.69, which is her personal best.
Notable Times
500-yard freestyle – 4:46.71
1650-yard freestyle – 16:27.69
400-yard IM – 4:19.12
“We’re excited to welcome the American Athletic Conference champion in the 1650 to Nevada,” said Bray. “Frederica will bring valuable leadership and experience to our young team. She is a high level distance swimmer who we feel can make a great impact in her fifth year with us. She will fill valuable positions on our team in the 400 IM, 500, and 1650 but more importantly in pursing a Biotechnology graduate degree at Nevada and we are so excited for her future career options as a Nevada alum.”
Makena Malkemus (Phoenix, Ariz. / West Virginia / Phoenix Swim Club)
Malkemus comes to Nevada as a sophomore after a year at West. She will primarily compete in freestyle and backstroke. Her personal best in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle are 23.76 and 51.72 respectively.
Notable Times
50-yard freestyle – 23.76
100-yard freestyle – 51.72
200-yard freestyle – 1:52.15
200-yard backstroke – 2:02.48
100-yard backstroke – 57.26
“Makena has so much potential and I love that she has a range of sprint and middle distance freestyle and backstroke events,” said Bray. “She has a ton of energy and a great attitude and like many of our other incomers she is a great student.”
Yasmin Perry (Aberdeen, Scotland / University of Aberdeen)
Perry will look to add depth to the Pack competing in the butterfly and freestyle events. Perry competed in the BUCS System in the UK and has competed in the British Swimming National Championships. She was a member of the Scottish National Team from 2019-2022.
Notable Times
100 freestyle (SCM) – 55.98
100 butterfly (SCM) – 58.77
200 butterfly (SCM) – 2:10.60
“Yasmin is an elite level butterflier who is excited to finally race in the NCAA system,” said Bray. We expect her to improve in her power, speed and underwaters through our program and she has the potential of rising to a world class level. Yasmin has already been a part of the Scottish national team and we are very proud to continue our tradition of great Scottish swimmers at Nevada.”
The swim team looks at three returners to lead the team in Colette Berkenfield, Caitlin Smith, and Anslee Dickerson.
Berkenfield will return for her fifth season at Nevada while finishing her bachelor’s degree. She clinched third at the Mountain West Championships in both the 400-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay, earning Mountain West honors.
Smith is coming off a strong sophomore season at Nevada after transferring from the University of Idaho. She earned 12 points at the Mountain West Championships this past season. She attained a mark of 2:05.29 in the 200-yard butterfly, her season best in the event and dropped her time in the 100-yard butterfly from 56.27b to 55.14.
Dickerson comes off her first season at Nevada after transferring from Northern Arizona University. She was a strong breaststroke competitor throughout the season where she had a season best time of 1:03.97 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Dive
The dive team rounds out their five-woman squad with transfer Madison Simons, who spent her first collegiate season at San Diego but returned home in January to compete for the Pack. Simons attended Bishop Manogue High School in Reno, where she helped her team qualify for Nevada state swim and dive championships. She is no stranger to the Nevada dive coaching staff, having been previously coached by head coach Jian Li You and assistant coach Krysta Palmer.
The dive team will return four divers in Lucia Gabino, Melissa Mirafuentes, Bailey Heydra, and Dani Griffin.
Gabino is coming off Mountain West Diver of the Year honors in 2022-23 after winning the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events at the MW Championships. She was selected as Diver of the Meet at the 2023 Mountain West Championship, sweeping the springboard events.
Mirafuentes will finish out her eligibility at Nevada coming off a strong senior season competing at the NCAA Swim and Dive championships and medaling twice at the Mountain West Championships and a personal best in the 1-meter springboard with a score of 347.00. She was named an All-MW honoree in each of the diving events as well as NCAA All-America honorable mention following her 12th place finish at NCAA’s.
Heydra will continue her career at Nevada returning as a junior. She earned three top-five finishes including two podiums at the Mountain West Championships, achieving All-Mountain West honors in all three diving competitions this past season. Heydra claimed gold in the 1-meter springboard during the Mountain West Championships. She competed in the World Aquatics Championships and World University Games in July 2023 for her home country, South Africa.
Griffin is looking to have a strong sophomore season at Nevada. She competed at the Mountain West Championships where she placed 26th in the 1-meter springboard.
The Pack opens its season at San José State Sept. 30 at 10 a.m.