Press Release courtesy of Green Bay Athletics
The Green Bay swimming and diving team has officially signed five women and six men to join the Phoenix for the 2018-19 season. Inking their National Letters of Intent during the fall signing period were Emma Engle (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Ciana Fragnito (Oakdale, Minn.), Carissa Henderson (Menomonie, Wis.), Helena Heuberger (Clearwater, Fla.), and Olivia Pasch (Eau Claire, Wis.) for the women, as well as Xabier Carneiro (Pontevedra, Spain), Jacob Cooper (La Porte, Ind.), Daniel Frederick (Harrison Township, Mich.), Conner Funke (Omaha, Neb.) Zeke Metz (Topeka, Kan.), and Miles Rohrbaugh (Duluth, Minn.) for the men.
As of now, the class of 2022 includes two divers joining the squad along with a blend of swimmers with various stroke specialties. This incoming group of freshmen will have to be ready to fill in the gaps on day one next fall, with the largest group of seniors the team has ever seen finishing up their eligibility this season. However, head coach Reed Robelot, diving coach Tom Stover, and assistant coach Tara Dowling have ensured that this recruiting class has the skill to make an immediate impact on both the program and the Horizon League.
Read more about the signees below:
Emma Engle (Portage Central High School) Kalamazoo, Mich.
Engle is a distance freestyle specialist that competes for the club team Byron Center. She is the 19th ranked recruit in Michigan according to CollegeSwimming, with top times of 1:55.67 in the 200 freestyle, 5:05.90 in the 500 freestyle, and 17:17.78 in the 1650 freestyle. Her current 200 free time would just miss scoring points, but her 500 free would have landed her in the B final at the 2017 Horizon League Championships. Even better, her mile time would have earned her a coveted place within the top eight.
Coach Robelot on Engle – “When looking for distance swimmers, we have a few traits that we try to find in possible recruits. Emma checks every one of those boxes, and then some. With her cheery disposition, Emma will bring a lot to the training environment as well as our competitions. Her times already make her a substantial impact player for next year, and she shows a lot of signs that her progress will continue across all four years.”
Ciana Fragnito (Stillwater Area High School) Oakdale, Minn.
The 21st-ranked recruit by CollegeSwimming to come out of Minnesota, Saint Croix Swim Club’s Fragnito is well-rounded with strengths in butterfly, backstroke, and the individual medleys. Her best times consist of 57.76 in the 100 butterfly, 2:08.15 in the 200 butterfly, 59.87 in the 100 backstroke, 2:09.90 in the 200 backstroke, 2:06.55 in the 200 IM, and 4:33.24 in the 400 IM. At last year’s Horizon League Championships, her top events would have been the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 butterfly, with solid B final spots in each of those races.
Coach Robelot on Fragnito – “We are very excited about bringing Ciana onboard next year. She has really accelerated over the summer and continues that momentum this short course season. Ciana also helps fill some key open slots in our event line-up. It will be interesting to see what she does in a college setting with a little more room to spread her wings.”
Carissa Henderson (Menomonie High School) Menomonie, Wis.
Primarily a sprinter for her club team, the Eau Claire YMCA Marlins, Henderson is the 34th-ranked recruit in Wisconsin by CollegeSwimming. Currently, her best times include 24.41 in the 50 freestyle, 53.56 in the 100 freestyle, and 59.50 in the 100 backstroke. While her swims are just on the border of qualifying for finals at the Horizon League Championships, she has posted best times in nearly every possible event in 2017, suggesting that her collegiate career will provide even more growth in the pool.
Coach Robelot on Henderson— “Carissa is one of those intriguing, multi-sport athletes that just beams with athleticism. She’s built up a strong resume with her high school swimming career, and can move through the water with a natural smoothness that’s hard to teach. As of now, Carissa leans more towards the backstroke and freestyle events, but she could end up evolving her line-up with a little more experience in the other strokes.”
Helena Heuberger (Clearwater High School) Clearwater, Fla.
Helena competes in the backstroke races, but has the ability to swim multiple freestyle events as well. Representing the Clearwater Aquatic Team, she is the 35th-ranked recruit from Florida according toCollegeSwimming. Already, her best time of 55.64 in the 100 back would have given her a comfortable position in the A final of last year’s Horizon League Championships. Her times of 2:04.07 in the 200 back and 52.11 in the 100 free would have put her in the B finals of each of those races, but with those events back-to-back at the meet, her third event could end up being anything from the 50 free to the 500 free.
Coach Robelot on Heuberger— “Helena is a bright and talented student-athlete that will bring an enormous wealth of experience and speed to our team. Currently she trains with one of the best coaches our sport has ever seen, Randy Reece, and has enjoyed a good deal of success in doing so. With multiple Florida State High School individual titles under her belt, Helena is poised to continue her success in the NCAA. As a backstroker, she will make an immediate impact and possibly make appearances on freestyle relays as well.”
Olivia Pasch (Eau Claire Memorial) Eau Claire, Wis.
One of the earliest recruits to verbally commit to Green Bay, Pasch is exceptional on the 1 meter board, competing in the Wisconsin Division 1 High School State Championships all four years. She qualified for finals at the meet as a sophomore, junior, and senior, securing 9th, 10th, and 11th place, respectively. With her high school diving career complete, her next time competing will be as a Phoenix.
Coach Stover on Pasch— “We are fortunate to be able to add another diver from the Eau Claire Memorial Dive Team system to our Green Bay team. Like all Memorial divers, Olivia is a product of exceptional coaching. She is a competitor and worked hard to build a strong set of skills on the boards that will be the foundation of her growth in college. A three-sport high school athlete, Olivia has been a diver primarily only during her high school seasons. Once she gets an opportunity to focus her time and talents on diving in college, we expect her to really grow and develop into a strong contributor to the Phoenix Diving Team.”
Xabier Carneiro, Pontevedra, Spain
A distance swimmer competing for Club Del Mar in Spain, Carniero’s transition to yards should be interesting to follow. Converted from long course meters to yards, his best times include 15:52.01 in the 1650 freestyle, 4:03.31 in the 400 IM, and 1:53.69 in the 200 backstroke. Comparatively, with more walls involved in short course meters, his converted mile time drops to 15:38.16. Either mile time would have put him comfortably in the top eight at the 2017 Horizon League Championships, but his short course conversion would make him a contender for first place. His 400 IM would have also just made the A final, while his 200 back is right on the edge of the B final.
Coach Robelot on Carneiro— “Xabier comes to Green Bay with skills in the distance free events, as well as backstroke events. In addition to his experience in the pool, Xabier also likes to train and race on Spain’s Junior National Open Water Team. Needless to say, his background is extensive and very well-rounded.”
Jacob Cooper (La Porte High School) La Porte, Ind.
A sprint freestyle specialist for the La Porte Community Turbos, Cooper is the 37th-ranked recruit in the state of Indiana by CollegeSwimming. His best times, both from 2017, are 21.29 in the 50 freestyle and 47.59 in the 100 freestyle, and would result in places at the 2017 Horizon League Championships that would have been just outside of finals. However, training with a fairly young sprint group in Green Bay should set him up to make a statement as a collegiate athlete.
Coach Robelot on Cooper— “Jacob comes to us from a small town in Indiana. With his size and natural speed, it will be fun to watch him develop in the sprint events. However, in a college training environment, Jacob may also excel in the middle free events as well. Jacob will also be a big contributor, academically, to our team.”
Daniel Frederick (De La Salle Collegiate High School) Harrison Township, Mich.
Frederick is a mid to upper-distance freestyler for the Utica Shelby Swim Club, ranking 14th in the state of Michigan according to CollegeSwimming. This year, he has posted multiple best times, most notably 1:42.93 in the 200 freestyle, 4:34.70 in the 500 freestyle, and 15:56.42 in the 1650 freestyle. While his 200 free would have just missed scoring at the 2017 Horizon League Championships, his 500 free would have been just outside the A final and his 1650 would have a solid spot in the top eight.
Coach Robelot on Frederick— “Daniel impressed us immediately, not just with his times, but also with his approach to the sport. As a student-athlete that exudes a hunger to be fast, Daniel should fit in very well as a great distance and mid-distance freestyler. Look no further than the times he’s posted this fall to see how well he is climbing up the ranks. Daniel’s academic record speaks for itself as well.”
Conner Funke (Creighton Prep High School) Omaha, Neb.
The number one recruit coming out of Nebraska, according to CollegeSwimming, Greater Omaha Aquatics’s Funke competes in breaststroke, the individual medleys, and even some mid-distance freestyle events. His best times in yards are 57.29 in the 100 breaststroke, 2:04.72 in the 200 breaststroke, 1:54.05 in the 200 IM, and 4:05.43 in the 400 IM. However, with his converted meters-to-yards time from this summer, his 200 breast time drops to 2:03.11. At the 2017 Horizon League Championships, that particular time would mean a concrete spot in the A final, while each of his other top swims would have qualified him for B finals.
Coach Robelot on Funke— “Conner is coming off of a monster summer, having finaled in multiple events at Texas Futures as well as winning the 200 breaststroke title at that meet. His attention to technique and detail has elevated him amongst his peers, and will be a great asset to him on the Division I level. It will be incredibly exciting to see how he fits in with our roster for next year.”
Zeke Metz (Seaman High School) Topeka, Kan.
The number two ranked recruit by CollegeSwimming from the state of Kansas, Metz competes for Topeka Swim Association mainly as a mid-distance swimmer. A majority of his top times were all set within the past year, and include 1:42.69 in the 200 freestyle, 4:35.40 in the 500 freestyle, 16:37.06 in the 1650 freestyle, and 4:07.21 in the 400 IM. His 500 free and 400 IM would have put him in B finals at the 2017 Horizon League Championships. His mile would have been just within scoring position as well, and his 200 free is just outside of making it into the B final.
Coach Robelot on Metz— “In the scouting process, we like to keep your eyes out for those swimmers that can do just about any event. Zeke is certainly one of those with all four strokes in his arsenal and very few holes in his game. He also brings a great mental strength that helps with consistency throughout the strenuous college season.”
Miles Rohrbaugh (Duluth East High School) Duluth, Minn.
Another diver with experience on the 1 meter board, Rohrbaugh has shown steady improvement over the past few years. As a sophomore at the 2016 Minnesota Class AA State Championships, he qualified for semi-finals, earning 18th place. Comparatively, as a junior at the meet in 2017, he earned a spot in finals, finishing 13th place overall. With one more high school season to go, he will be looking to qualify for finals again.
Coach Stover on Rohrbaugh— “Miles is an up and coming diver from the Duluth East High School program. Under the guidance of his father, Leon, as his coach, Miles has developed into a powerful high school diver with a growing list of accomplishments. Every high school season he has improved his skills, increased his scores, added dives that are more difficult and moved up at the Minnesota State meet. We are looking forward to following Miles through a successful senior campaign and then having him join our Phoenix Dive Team in the fall.”