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The Marshall Thundering Herd has added a pair of swimmers to their 2021 recruiting class.
Italian Federica Savoia and Mississippian Gabrielle Ivey have both joined the class of 2021, joining diver Grace Kelsheimer, sprinter and butterflier Leigh Lopez-Silvers, and freestyler Sofia Bormett.
Federica Savoia
Savoia comes to Marshall from the Reggiana Nuoto club in Reggio Emilia, Italy in the northern part of the country.
Swimming at last year’s long course Italian Championship meet in August, she finished 11th in the 400 free, 7th in the 800 free and 5th in the 1500 free. That gives away her specialty in the distance freestyle events.
Best Times:
| LCM | SCM |
SCY (Converted)
|
|
| 200 free | 2:06.23 | 2:06.24 | 1:50.8 |
| 400 free (500y free) | 4:23.50 | 4:19.88 | 4:55.2 |
| 800 free (1000y free) | 8:56.73 | 8:50.53 | 10:01.37 |
| 1500 free (1650y free) | 16:57.55 | 16:57.56 | 16:37.5 |
Gabrielle Ivey
Ivey swims for the Biloxi Elite Swim Team in Mississippi and attends Ocean Springs High School on the Gulf Coast of the state.
In a decorated high school career, she has won 6 individual state titles in 8 tries. That includes wins in the 200 free and 100 back in 2017 as a freshman, the 200 IM in 2018 as a sophomore, the 100 fly and 200 free as a junior in 2019,, and the 200 free 2 weeks ago as a senior.
The only blemish on her reports come from the 100 free, where she was 2nd in both attempts as a sophomore and a senior.
Her swims at this year’s state meet in the 100 and 200 free were both best times. At that meet, she also split 50.95 on a 400 free relay anchor and 25.57 in the 50 fly on a 200 medley relay. That contributed to a 4th-place team finish for Ocean Springs.
Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 24.30
- 100 free – 51.68
- 200 free – 1:51.02
- 100 back – 57.57
- 200 back – 2:02.07
- 100 fly – 57.29
- 200 IM – 2:06.46
- 400 IM – 4:32.24
Impact
For Marshall, which graduates their star sprinter Darby Coles (22.8/49.4) at the end of the 2020-2021 season (pending extension of eligibility by the NCAA), Ivey will be a crucial reinforcement. If all remains on track, she should at least be a 3 relay swimmer immediate for Marshall as a freshman.
While the more distance-oriented Savoia could be on the 800 free relay as a freshman as well, she’ll offer bigger contributions immediately as an individual. Based on her yards conversion times, she should be a top 8 finisher at the Conference USA Championships in the 500 free and could immediately contend for the conference title in the 1650 free.
Marshall has never had a swimmer win a Conference USA title in the 1650 free having been members of the conference since the 2005-2006 season.
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