The Green Bay Phoenix Swimming and Diving program has officially signed five women and four men to join the team in the 2017-18 season. Inking their National Letters of Intent during the fall signing period were Logan Johnsen (Louisburg, KS), Alyssa Lewandowski (Hartland, WI), Emily Macco (De Pere, WI), Jaelin Rose (Lakeville, MN), and Katie Stephenson (Gladstone, MI) for the women and Max Boehnlein (Appleton, WI), Reagan Ragsdale (Cape Girardeau, MO), Ryan Ramminger (DeForest, WI), and Paul Sadergaski (Faribault, MN) for the men.
This class offers greater depth in numerous events and will also bring fresh talent to both sides of the roster for head coach Reed Robelot, assistant coach Tara Dowling and diving coach Tom Stover.
Logan Johnsen (Blue Valley Southwest High School) Louisburg, KS
A breaststroke and IM specialist for the Kansas City Blazers, Johnsen is the 15th ranked recruit in Kansas. Her top times, 1:06.64 in the 100 breaststroke, 2:26.97 in the 200 breaststroke, 2:10.90 in the 200 IM, and 4:46.26 in the 400 IM, are all from 2016, showing that she has the potential to get even faster at the collegiate level. Her 100 breaststroke would have landed her in the B final at last year’s Horizon League Championships.
Robelot on Johnsen – “While adding to our breaststroke corps, Logan will play an integral role as a swimmer that will also range over to the individual medleys. She has really been swimming fast in-season this year, and is giving us an exciting glimpse of her potential as a college swimmer. With a steely work ethic and love for the process, Logan is a perfect fit for the team culture here. Academically, Logan will surely help our squad move up in the team GPA rankings.”
Alyssa Lewandowski (Arrowhead High School) Hartland, WI
A backstroker, butterflier, and freestyler that leans toward the sprinting side of the sport, Lewandowski ranks 26th out of the recruits in Wisconsin. Her best times of 2:06.31 in the 200 backstroke, 57.78 in the 100 backstroke, and 56.96 in the 100 butterfly with the Lake Country Swim Team would have placed her in each event’s B finals at last year’s Horizon League Championships.
Robelot on Lewandowski – “As one of the most gifted senior swimmers in Wisconsin, Alyssa was on our radar for some time. She was one of those recruits that just seemed to belong at Green Bay, early in the recruiting process. Alyssa’s skills extend across three different strokes as well as under the water, and her academic accomplishments just sealed the deal for us. She was without a doubt, one of the most recruited prospects for our team. We’re extremely excited to have her join the team next year.”
Emily Macco (De Pere High School) De Pere, WI
Macco is a breaststroker, freestyler, and IM specialist for the Green Bay YMCA, ranking 27th in the state of Wisconsin. At her final high school state championships, Macco posted a time of 1:04.15 in the 100 yard breaststroke and 2:06.28 in the 200 IM, which would have each just narrowly missed A finals at last year’s Horizon League Championships. Her time of 2:24.74 in the 200 breaststroke would have solidly made B finals at the meet.
Robelot on Macco – “Having Emily in our backyard has given us a few opportunities to watch her develop in-person this year. It seems like every time she hits the water, she gets faster. As a natural physical talent, her gifts have endowed her with a heavy-hitting breaststroke as well as speed in fly, IM, and free. Her grit at the end of the race is especially rare, and she has the raw physicality to match it. There’s no telling how fast Emily will get in the next 4 years, but she will certainly be a player in our conference. ”
Jaelin Rose (Lakeville North High School) Lakeville, MN
Rose is primarily a breaststroker for her club team, South Metro Storm, and is the 45th ranked recruit in Minnesota. Her sprints are her strengths, as her best time in the 100 breaststroke, 1:06.07, would have made the B finals at last year’s Horizon League Championships. Her current time of 2:14.44 in the 200 IM could potentially give her a role in the team’s 200 IM ranks as well.
Robelot on Rose – “Jaelin made a great impression on us early in the recruiting process. She showed great feel for the water and a natural breaststroke kick that is nearly impossible to teach. Combining a genuine cheery energy with a resilient personality, Jaelin is set to have a great career as a student-athlete here at Green Bay.”
Katie Stephenson (Gladstone High School) Gladstone, MI
A sprint backstroker and freestyle, Stephenson is ranked 109th out of the Michigan recruits. Her best times of 25.69 in the 50 freestyle, 55.65 in the 100 freestyle, and 1:02.23 in the 100 backstroke are all from November 2016, hinting that swimming at the collegiate level will continue her growth in the pool.
Robelot on Stephenson – “Katie is one of those swimmers that has just started to scratch the surface of her full potential. With her innate explosiveness and athleticism, Katie could really turn some heads as a freshman. Even before she arrives to Green Bay, it will be fun to watch her development through this spring and summer.”
Max Boehnlein (Neenah High School) Appleton, WI
Boehnlein competes in breaststroke, IM, and freestyle for the Fox Valley Wave Swim Team. Ranked 9th out of the recruits from Wisconsin, his best times of 57.13 in the 100 breaststroke and 2:06.06 in the 200 breaststroke would have made the B final at last year’s Horizon League Championships. His 200 freestyle and 200 IM times from November of 1:42.65 and 1:54.79, respectively, would have been just on the border of finals, and may be new components in his lineup.
Robelot on Boehnlein – “Max will bring a strong amount of depth and versatility to our men’s team next year. He’s one of those rare swimmers that has technically mastered all 4 strokes. Max can do just about anything we’d need him to, and his love for the process will serve him well over the course of his career. He’s as mentally engaged in what he’s doing both in and out of the water as he is physically talented. That’s always a great skill combination to have as a Division I swimmer.”
Reagan Ragsdale (Central Senior High School) Cape Girardeau, MO
A sprint freestyler with a backstroke and butterfly component, Ragsdale of River City Aquatics is the number two recruit in the state of Missouri. His best times of 20.92 in the 50 freestyle and 45.83 in the 100 freestyle earned Ragsdale first places at his final high school state championships. In addition, his top events, the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 100 backstroke, would have all landed him in the B finals at last year’s Horizon League Championships.
Robelot on Ragsdale – “They say that when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail, and Reagan Ragsdale is a hammer that can help us with quite a few nails. This guy has big speed, under and on top of the water. He can swim fly. He can swim free. He can swim back. For all his physical abilities, Reagan’s mental gifts may end up being his greatest strengths. It will be interesting to see how he shapes his career over four years.”
Ryan Ramminger (DeForest Area High School) DeForest, WI
Ramminger is a breaststroke, freestyle, and IM specialist from the Madison Aquatic Club. Ranked 15th in the state of Wisconsin, he was a finalist at last year’s division two high school state championships. His best times of 59.24 in the 100 breaststroke, 2:11.38 in the 200 breaststroke, 1:56.50 in the 200 IM, 4:10.89 in the 400 IM, and 1:43.44 in the 200 freestyle all are from 2016, proving that Ramminger has plenty of room to grow.
Robelot on Ramminger – “Ryan’s star has been on the rise over the past year or so. As one of the most disciplined prospective student-athletes I’ve ever recruited, there is no doubting his commitment to his academics or our sport. With speed in free, versatility as an IMer, and ever-increasing size and strength, it’s hard to predict what events Ryan will end up racing for us. He’ll be a candidate for any of the five relays, and his interests are as varied as his abilities.”
Paul Sadergaski (Faribault High School) Faribault, MN
A butterflier and freestyler, Sadergaski hails from South Metro Storm and is the 11th ranked recruit in Minnesota. His best times include 21.41 in the 50 freestyle, 50.04 in the 100 butterfly, 1:55.19 in the 200 butterfly, and 1:56.54 in the 200 IM. His 100 butterfly would have placed him in a solid spot in the B final at last year’s Horizon League Championships.
Robelot on Sadergaski – “Summer Junior National qualifier, National Choir member, National Honor Society, and all-around nice guy, Paul is a modern renaissance man. As a candidate for multiple relays, Paul will help boost our sprint corps and make top-level grades while doing it. He’s got a bright future ahead of him, and we’re excited to add him to a dynamite class and group of returning student-athletes.”
Courtesy of Green Bay Athletics.