Courtesy: Georgia Southern Athletics
STATESBORO, Ga. – On Friday morning, head coach Amanda Caldwell announced the addition of 10 new student-athletes to the 2020-21 Swimming & Diving roster. Out of the 10 athletes joining the team, half are from the state of Georgia and two are from out of the country.
“Collectively speaking, these 10 women are game changers for the athletic talent and character qualities they are brining to our program,” Head coach Amanda Caldwell said. “I could not be more excited for what the upcoming year has in store, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to coach these young women. Look out, CCSA… GS is here to GATA!”
Melody Giberson
Duluth HS / Spartans Aquatic Club
Personal Bests
50 Freestyle – 24.02
100 Freestyle – 53.22
Why I chose GS: Because of the family atmosphere. I loved the closeness of the team and how they all looked out for each other.
Annamaria Hornyak
Hunyadi Matays Altalanos Iskola / Sandor Szeles, Hungary
Personal Bests
SCM 50 Freestyle – 26.2
SCM 100 Freestyle – 57.2
SCM 100 Breaststroke – 1:09.70
SCM 200 Breaststroke – 2:32.69
SCM 100 Butterfly – 1:01.30
LCM 200 IM – 2:18.70
Why I chose GS: It felt like it was the perfect fit for me. I love how friendly and supportive the coaches and swimmers are. GS is a place where I could see myself growing individually while contributing to the team. As an international student-athlete one of the most important things I was looking for was a 2nd home where I can feel welcomed and be a part of a family that supports me through the whole process of achieving my goals. GS felt that way right away. Go Eagles!
Lilly Kasra
Chattahooche HS / Swim Atlanta
Personal Bests
100 Backstroke – 57.51
200 Backstroke – 2:06.22
100 Butterfly – 55.75
50 Butterfly – 25.95
200 Butterfly – 2:07.55
Why I chose GS: When choosing where to continue my academic and athletic careers for the next four years, Georgia Southern showed me the most promising pathway to achieving my goals. In addition, I was inspired by the vision that head coach, Amanda Caldwell, had for the future of this team, in and out of the classroom. Under coach Caldwell’s coaching, I am confident I will prosper in all ways as I continue through this phenomenal program. I can’t wait to begin my collegiate journey alongside such an amazing team. Go Eagles!
Courtney Niemann
North Gwinnett HS / Swim Atlanta
Personal Bests
200 IM – 2:06.57
400 IM – 4:31.31
100 Breaststroke – 1:04.62
200 Breaststroke – 2:18.39
Why I chose GS: I could feel the family connection that all the girls had with each other and I knew that the team and academic advisors/teachers would help me in every way to reach my academic goals.
Tori Rucker
Savannah Arts Academy / Georgia Coastal Aquatic Team
Personal Bests
100 Butterfly – 55.21
200 Butterfly – 2:02.86
Why I chose GS: Because it had courses for what I wanted to major in and I appreciated how welcoming the school was. Plus, everyone on the team, including the staff, were absolutely amazing people that I wanted in my life.
Abby Schoppa
Northern Guilford HS / Greensboro Swimming Association
Personal Bests
100 Breaststroke – 1:05.45
200 Breaststroke – 2:22.12
Why I chose GS: As soon as I got on campus, all of the girls were incredibly welcoming and made me feel right at home. After seeing the team’s connection with each other and involvement within the community, I knew the girls would push me to be better in and out of the pool. This team has an incredibly bright future and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else!
Emma Scruggs
Girls Preparatory School / McCallie GPS Aquatics
Personal Bests
100 Backstroke – 56.15
200 Backstroke – 2:02.01
200 Butterfly – 2:07.54
200 IM – 2:07.61
400 IM – 4:32.01
Why I chose GS: Because I could feel the genuine love that each girl on the team had for each other. I knew that if I would go there, I would grow in more ways than just in my athletic abilities.
Emma Sutton
Western Canada HS / Cascade Swim Club
Personal Bests
100 Freestyle – 57.93
200 Freestyle – 2:06.33
400 Freestyle – 4:30.06
800 Freestyle – 9:28.42
Why I chose GS: I chose Georgia Southern because of all the amazing feedback I’ve heard from close family friends. Team spirit has always been a huge factor in choosing school and at GS, team spirit is one of their many unbelievable traits. As far as school goes, GS had all the programs I was interested in, making my future brighter each class! Last but not least, I fell in love with the swim team! Something about GS swimming made me feel at home. I believe GS will forever be my best decision and I can’t wait for these next four years!
Anya Weber
Normal Community HS
Personal Bests
1M 6 Dive – 263.10
1M 11 Dive – 448.60
3M 10 Dive – 289.85
Why I chose GS: The environment was extremely friendly and welcoming from the first day I was on campus. That, paired with the opportunity to continue doing a sport I love and pursue a quality education, made it an easy decision.
Austyn Woods
Portal HS / Southern Eagle Aquatics
Personal Bests
50 Freestyle – 24.33
100 Freestyle – 54.17
Why I chose GS: Georgia Southern was always my first choice when choosing a college to fulfill my desire to swim at the collegiate level. I have watched and attended many GS events in my lifetime and to be given the opportunity to swim in front of my hometown crowd is a dream come true! During my recruitment trip, I immediately knew that this is where I wanted to be because I met a great team and coaching staff who are eager to help me achieve my goals of where I want to be in college swimming. I am beyond excited to be a baby Eagle!