NEWARK, NJ— NJIT men’s swimming and diving coach Michael Lawson announced the addition of seven newcomers for the 2015-16 season. This year’s recruiting class includes standouts from New Jersey, New York, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
The new additions to the team include:
Avery Bechtel (Gardners, PA), Industrial Engineering
Alex Danielson (Ballston Spa, NY), Mechanical Engineering
Luiz De Miranda Leao III (Elkhart, IN), Theater Arts & Technology
William Espitia (Bay Shore, NY), Mechanical Engineering
Erik Kral (Woodbridge, NJ), Electrical Engineering
Brandon Lachapel (Fair Lawn, NJ), Engineering Sciences
Edward Parks (Vineland, NJ), Civil Engineering
“We are very excited to welcome another very talented class of swimmers and divers and expect them to be significant assets as we continue to grow our Division I squad,” Coach Lawson stated.
Recent freshmen on the NJIT squad have made immediate impacts and the coaching staff expects next year’s recruits to be no different. Within the past three years, Coach Lawson has focused his recruiting efforts on student athletes that are talented in the pool as well as academically fit to succeed in a rigorous STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) degree program. More and more prospective high school students are finding the value in a STEM degree, and NJIT is one of the most affordable universities in the nation to offer these specialized majors as well as a Division I swimming and diving experience.
Here is a closer look at the newcomers:
Edward Parks
– Broke 100 Butterfly Vineland HS record
– Broke 100 Backstroke Vineland HS record
– Anchored in the Vineland HS record breaking 400 Freestyle Relay
– 1st Place in 100 Butterfly at 2014 Eastern States/ Long Island Invitational Swimming Championships
– 3rd Place in 100 Backstroke at 2014 Eastern States/ Long Island Invitational Swimming Championships
– 2014 NJ State (NJSIAA) Champions in the 200 & 400 Freestyle Relays
– 5th Place in the 100 Butterfly at the 2015 NJ State (NJSIAA) Championships
– 7th Place in the 50 Freestyle at the 2015 NJ State (NJSIAA) Championships
– 2014 & 2015 Cape- Atlantic League Championship High Point Earner
– 2014 First Team “All South Jersey” for the 50 Freestyle
– 2015 Second Team “All South Jersey” for the 100 Butterfly
– 2015 South Jersey Times Swimmer of the Year
Avery Bechtel
– Carlisle High School Senior Class President
– 12th Place in the 1 Meter Diving at the 2015 Mid Penn Swimming & Diving Championships
– #5 All-Time Diving Score Earner at Carlisle High School
– Carlisle High School Swimming and Diving Team Captain
Alex Danielson
– 3rd Place in the 100 Butterfly at the 2014-15 New York Section II Division 1 Championships
– 3rd Place in the 200 Individual Medley at the 2014-15 New York Section II Division 1 Championships
– 2014-15 New York Boys Public School Championships Qualifier for the 100 Freestyle and 200 Individual Medley
– 2015 Adirondack Gold Championships Qualifier for the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Freestyle
– Saratoga High School Swimming Most Valuable Player Award recipient in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Luiz De Miranda Leao III
– 2015 Second Team “All-Northern Indiana Conference” for the 100 Backstroke
– 2015 Second Team “All-Northern Indiana Conference” for the 200 Freestyle Relay
– 2015 Honorable Mention “All-Northern Indiana Conference” for the 200 Medley Relay
– 2015 IHSAA State Finals Qualifier for the 200 Freestyle Relay and 200 Medley Relay
– 2nd Place in the 50 Backstroke at the 2015 Indiana Boys Sectional Championships
– 3rd Place in the 100 Backstroke at the 2015 Indiana Boys Sectional Championships
– 8th Place in the 100 Freestyle at the 2015 Indiana Boys Sectional Championships
William Espitia
– Attended Brentwood HS
– Captain of swim team as a senior (2015)
– Recipient of most improved team award
Erik Kral
-Member of the Woodbridge HS swim team
-Swam for the Scarlet Aquatics club team
Brandon Lachapel
– Broke 200 Freestyle Relay Fair Lawn HS record
– Broke 200 Medley Relay Fair Lawn HS record
– Broke 400 Freestyle Relay Fair Lawn HS record
Swimming news courtesy of NJIT Men’s Swimming.