courtesy of St. Bonaventure University Athletics
St. Bonaventure University men’s and women’s swimming and diving head coach Mike Smiechowski has announced the addition of seven student-athletes to the women’s program for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.
“I am very excited about this class and our ability to improve and compete at the top of the Atlantic 10,” Smiechowski said. “In the past two years, our current athletes have been instrumental in creating a championship culture, setting the foundation for incoming athletes to come in right away and compete. This incoming class is filled with high level athletes that believe in what we are doing and believe in our vision. It’s going to be an exciting year for both our men and our women.”
Sarah Gonzalez, Madeline Kline, Phoebe McClaren, Olivia Philbrick, Caroline Murray, Alessandra Haas Ren and Hana Wienckowski will all join the squad in the fall of 2024.
Sarah Gonzalez joins the Brown and White from Rockledge, Fla. where she competed for Rockledge High School in the breaststroke and sprint freestyle events. She is a two-time Florida Today Women’s Swimmer of the Year, earning honors in 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, Gonzalez was the Space Coast Women’s Swimming Breakfast of Champions recipient. She has also competed for the Rocoa Rockets Swim Team. This past year, she was a member of the 2024 NJCAA Swim and Dive champions at Indian River State College. Academically, Gonzalez is a member of the National Honor Society and was an honor graduate. She intends on studying health science at St. Bonaventure.
Career best times: 100-breast: 1:05.52, 200-breast: 2:23.03, 50-free: 24.28
Coming to St. Bonaventure from Washingtonville, N.Y. is diver Madeline Kline. A four-time NYSPHSAA qualifier, Kline is the Washingtonville Senior High School record holder in the 6-dive as well as the 11-dive event. Kline served as a team captain and was selected as the team MVP as a sophomore and junior. She also competed for the Orange County Divers Club Team.
Academically, Kline was a scholar-athlete, a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the National Art Honor Society. Kline plans on majoring in accounting at St. Bonaventure.
Career best scores: 6-Dive: 251.65, 11-Dive: 478.45
Joining the Bonnies from Boulder City, Nev. is Phoebe McClaren who competed in freestyle events for Boulder City High School. She also competed for BCH Heatwave, qualifying for the Junior National Championships.
Career best times: 200-free: 1:53.49, 500-free: 4:53.11, 1650-free: 17:02.08
Olivia Philbrick comes to St. Bonaventure as a junior transfer from Meadville, Pa. and competed in the backstroke for Meadville Area High School and Binghamton University. As a sophomore with the Bearcats, Philbrick was selected to the America East All-Conference Team. She swam on the first-place 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay teams at the America East Championships last year. She also finished second in the 100-back and was fourth in the 200-back at the conference meet.
In high school, she served as the team captain as a senior and was the team record-holder in the 100-backstroke, posting a time of 56.16. Philbrick has also spent time with the Franklin YMCA Flyers. She plans to study biology at St. Bonaventure.
Career best times: 50-free: 24.09, 100-back: 54.61, 200-back: 2:01.18
Caroline Murray joins the Bonnies from West Caldwell, N.J. and competed for James Caldwell High School in the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke. Murray recorded back-to-back County Championships in the 500-freestyle and was a top-16 state finisher. She holds the James Caldwell school record in the 200-freestyle as well as the 500-freestyle. Murray was selected to the All-County First Team as a sophomore and junior. She also competed for the Cougar Aquatic Team. Murray intends on studying business.
Career best times: 200-free: 1:56.25, 500-free: 5:08.83, 200-fly: 2:10.48
Alessandra Ren is a freestyle swimmer who joins the Brown and White from Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She has competed for Gremio Nautico Uniao where she was an honored athlete in 2022.
Academically, Ren was a proficient student for three consecutive years at Leonardo da Vinci Gama. She plans to study computer science at St. Bonaventure.
Career best times (LCM): 200-free: 2:08.70, 400-free: 4:29.78, 1500-free: 17.56
Hana Wienckowski is a native of Long Grove, Ill. where she swam for Adlai E Stevenson High.
She captured all-conference and all-state honors during her high school career and also swam for the Patriot Aquatic Club. She was named Illinois All-State and placed fourth at IHSA State Championship meet in 2022.
She will pursue a degree in fine arts and marketing.
Career best times: 50-free: 24.03, 100-free: 51.66, 200-free: 1:53.25
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Shows how hard it is to get women, when you compare this to the quality of the men’s incoming swimmers in the related article.
Yes and no, the men’s class is good for sure, but for the conference this is a very solid womens class with some A finalists. The A10 just seems like fast mens mid major conference